A/N: Just a quick one I'm afraid as this weekend has been a bit manic, but I wanted to get something posted, so here it is :) I hope you enjoy! Reviews would be lovely :)
"Food will be here in twenty minutes."
Emma advises as she hangs up the phone, watching as Regina pulls her jacket back on and smoothes down imaginary creases.
"Oh good, I look forward to my vat of grease. Honestly, why couldn't you just order from Romano's?"
"Because it's almost midnight, and liquid salt is all that's available to us, Madame Mayor. Welcome to living in a small town."
The blonde shrugs, pulling a wine glass down from the cupboard and checking it for any spots missed when washing up.
"Hm."
Regina pulls a face.
"You don't have to eat it! You can sit and watch me if you'd prefer."
Emma challenges, and the brunette sighs but shakes her head as she takes a seat at the younger woman's kitchen table.
"No, I'll have some."
"That is the least enthusiastic response to a free meal I've ever heard."
"I'm sure that's not true, and I suppose eating something more than a couple of forkfuls of pasta would be wise after what we've been through."
"You're telling me! I'm starving!"
"Didn't you have anything when you got in?"
"No. I couldn't eat. I was too worried about what would happen with you."
"Hmm… I'm almost flattered. There aren't many things that get in the way of you and food."
"Yeah, well…"
The blonde frowns down at the glass, before handing it to the Mayor along with a bottle of wine pulled from the back of the pantry. Watching as Emma helps herself to a beer from the fridge, Regina accepts the corkscrew handed to her and puts it to use as the Sheriff takes a seat.
"You're not having any?"
"There's an open bottle of white in the fridge. I'm not very keen on malbec."
"Ah, do I take it I'm drinking the pirate's wine in that case?"
"No."
Emma shakes her head, meeting the darker woman's inquisitive gaze as she comes clean with a sigh
"You do realise I buy that for you, right?"
"Oh... Well, then it makes more sense why it's kept at the back of the cupboard."
Regina replies silkily, but she's unable to keep a smile from her tone as she pours herself a generous glass.
"It's just where it happened to be, Regina."
"Mm..."
The brunette muses doubtfully as she sips; her gaze meeting bemused green with a teasing glitter.
"Whatever, it's not as though you don't do the same."
The blonde shrugs.
"I'm sorry?"
"You don't especially like whisky, but you're always well-stocked."
"Yes, well, that has a lot more to do with liking to keep a variety of choice on hand for entertainment purposes than it does with you, Miss Swan."
"Really? Who was the last person you entertained other than me."
"... Your parents come by now and then."
"And do you offer them a drink?"
"Sometimes I make tea."
"Exactly."
Emma grins.
"Sometimes Maleficent comes over.
Regina snaps waspishly, but the younger woman remains undeterred as she mutters loudly down to her beer
"Yes, and she drinks vodka over ice, no lime."
"How do you...?"
"How do I know that? Guess I just have a bit of a thing for Disney villains. Don't get jealous."
"Emma."
"Or, it's because she's Lily's mom... Fuck this town is weird."
"Well, you brought her here."
Regina points out.
"It was complicated."
"It was."
The brunette agrees, offering the younger woman a tight smile as the latter rolls her eyes.
Watching as the blonde sips from her bottle with her gaze cast thoughtfully out at the moon, Regina glances up at the clock and asks quietly
"I take it we're not going to be interrupted?"
"No."
Emma agrees, and when the darker woman raises a brow, she sits back in her chair and pulls a face.
"Look, much like the Queen's overwhelming lust for me wasn't born out of nothing, neither are the comments you make about me and Hook."
"That's a slight exaggeration, dear; I would know, I was there. But, I won't feign shock that your rather strange reception this morning might have rubbed Killian the wrong way."
"Yeah. I'm pretty sure Hook's imagination has gone a lot further than either of us ever dared to take things before Friday."
The Sheriff agrees with a sigh, offering the brunette's shudder a nonplussed expression as she points out
"If it helps, I think he'd agree with you."
"Have you spoken to him since earlier?"
"No, I was a little preoccupied, Madame Mayor."
Emma growls, and the darker woman nods her understanding, before teasing softly
"As you often are when it comes to me."
"Exactly."
The blonde agrees simply.
"And your parents?"
"Have they imagined anything happening between us? I mean, I would hope not! I-"
"-Did they say anything to you when they called about Henry?"
Regina interrupts with a disdainful scowl at the younger woman's suggestion.
"About what?"
"About you! About where you might have been the last few days!"
"Oh. Not really. Don't forget, most people don't find it weird if they don't hear from me for a little while. Obviously, with our situation with Henry, it's a little different."
"I'm not sure Henry has much to do with you pestering me via text every few hours."
The brunette disagrees, but when Emma offers to stop, she waves the matter away dismissively before her pride can force her to put an end to something she secretly enjoys.
"You are one to keep to yourself when it suits you."
Is all she says, and the blonde nods, before elaborating on the Mayor's previous query
"I told David you weren't feeling so well so that he wouldn't start wondering why neither of us were coming to get Henry."
"Well, it wasn't far off the truth."
Regina admits, and Emma swallows and asks uncertainly
"Do you feel okay now?"
"Hmm..."
The brunette replies cryptically, righting two of the Sheriff's empty beer bottles that had fallen onto their sides and threatened to roll onto the floor as she'd fallen back onto the table at the mercy of wicked fingers.
"I do feel better."
She smirks when she catches Emma studying her shrewdly, and the blonde flashes her a grin before glancing over her shoulder as a loud knock sounds on the door.
"Food."
The Sheriff announces as she pushes herself up from her chair, and Regina takes the opportunity to clear the table of empty bottles and torn scraps of paper before fetching them some cutlery and plates. Holding out her hand for the bag the blonde brings through into the kitchen, she raises a brow as the younger woman appears troubled; a frown darkening her brow.
"Everything alright?"
"Yeah, fine, I think. The delivery guy just seemed really off with me for some reason."
"Well, it is midnight, and you are wearing that, dear..."
Regina points out silkily, looking up from the noodles she portions out between them to watch it dawn on Emma that she remains clad head-to-toe in black leather.
"Ah..."
The blonde winces, before shrugging as at least that mystery has solved itself, and she conspires slyly as she reclaims her seat
"Shouldn't really have bothered tipping him, considering."
"That's always been my thinking."
Regina agrees with an arrogant smile as she serves them, sitting down opposite the blonde and making swift work of her dinner in spite of her previous opposition to the unhealthy offering. As she eats, she watches Emma do the same, the blonde's attention focused on her plate as she wolfs down her meal. Recalling several of their more dangerous exchanges of late, incredibly, she smiles, helping herself to a sip of wine.
"You know... I've wanted to do this for so long."
The younger woman speaks up as she considers her half-empty plate.
"Hm?"
Regina raises a brow expectantly, meeting cool green as the Sheriff looks up at her.
"Have dinner with you, I guess."
Emma makes a small gesture as though her desire is fairly inconsequential, and the Mayor rolls her eyes as she points out
"We have dinner more often... Quite recently, actually."
Her lips pull back to show her teeth in a malicious set, referring to her demand that the blonde cook for her while clad in her neat little apron.
"Mm."
Emma narrows her eyes, and the brunette chuckles appreciatively as she apologises
"I'm sorry, dear, but it was fun... Possibly not what you meant, though?"
"You think?"
"Well, then I will say again; we have dinner together quite frequently."
"Not like this... Not just the two of us without the kid, and... It's not usually like this."
The blonde clears her throat pointedly, and Regina nods as she finishes her food and sits back in her chair.
"It's not usually so late, and so devoid of tension... Well, the breed of tension suffered up until now, in any case. It still exists, at least, I can feel it, but I'm not worried about saying something I shouldn't or wondering when we're going to be interrupted and pretending I don't mind."
She agrees, and Emma sips at her beer as she considers her companion pensively.
"Exactly... Do you know, we never actually make plans to be alone together? It happens all time, but always under the pretext of work, or something to do with Henry, or checking on something. Before Hook started coming over most evenings, I'd have my parents round, and Ruby once or twice before she left. Lily comes over for a few drinks now and then and we call it what it is, but whenever I make plans with you, we always attribute them to something safe."
"I'd never actually noticed that... Probably by design of my subconscious. You're right, though, I usually ask you over for dinner and something else."
"I'm not opposed to that offer."
The blonde grins, and Regina reciprocates with a sly smile.
"Is that more in line with what you've wanted?"
"Yeah. I guess it is."
Emma replies simply.
"Well, I'm done with dinner... Ask me to stay."
Regina challenges.
"Will you stay?"
The blonde obliges, and the Mayor nods, teasing gently
"Are you sure you don't need to come up with a reason?"
"Oh, I'm sure I can give you a reason."