AN: The prompt - How does their first kiss go? This is probably the longest fic I wrote for one of the prompts so far.
Neal sat on the floor with his feet tucked beneath himself and his knees pressed into the living room carpet in front of the couch. He bounced up and down as his cartoons played on the TV and rocked back and forth whenever there was a song. Emma sat with her back against one end of the couch, her knees pulled up near her chest, with her attention drawn to the iPad in her lap. It was something Regina bought her for her last birthday.
Regina walked past the room and immediately, Neal yelled out to her.
"Gina, Gina! Come look."
Emma's head snapped up and she looked over at Regina. "Hey," she greeted with a smile. "Thanks for letting us crash here while my parents have their date night."
Regina smiled back and replied, "Of course. Anything to spend more time with some of my favorite people in the world."
Regina directed her words more at little Neal than she did at Emma, but Regina still made it a point to look at the blonde to let her know she was also important.
"Gina!"
Regina looked away from Emma and gave Neal all her attention. She beamed at him and walked toward him before she crouched down beside him. "What is it?"
He grinned and grabbed her face between his hands before he leaned in and kissed her. He giggled when he pulled away and Regina's eyes shined with happiness as she looked at him.
"Love you," Neal said.
Regina chuckled. "I love you, too."
Emma's cheeks turned pink as she tried and failed to suppress a smile while she stared at the two of them.
"Unfortunately, my love for you doesn't get you out of bath time and bed," Regina informed him.
"No!" He crossed his arms and pouted as he turned away from Regina.
"Neal," Regina said with a warning tone and arched eyebrow.
"No," he yelled again and started to crawl away from her on his knees, his arms still crossed over his chest.
"Come on now, Buddy," Emma cut in. "Time to get cleaned up."
Neal whipped his head around and glared at Emma like he'd just been betrayed. "Emma," he whined. "You 'posed to be on my side."
"Sorry, Kid. Gina's house, Gina's rules. Plus, she's right."
"I usually am," Regina said. "And only he can call me Gina."
"Yeah, only I call her Gina."
"Oh, so now you're on her side? Way to be loyal," Emma said.
"I on my side," Neal said before he jumped onto his feet and bolted from the room.
"Great, now look what you've done," Regina teasingly scolded the blonde as she slowly stood up. "I haven't chased a resistant little boy around the house since our son was about Neal's age."
Emma's smile faded as she ducked her head.
"Oh…Emma. I didn't- I didn't mean to remind you of—"
"No, it's okay. It's not your fault and…at least I'm here now. Neal's not my kid, he's not ours, but…he's family and…now I have a chance to do this. Like I didn't get with Henry. Plus, I still have those memories you gave me, so that's something."
"Well, there are lot more firsts in Henry's life that you'll be around for. In the meantime, why don't you chase down your baby brother?"
"Really? I thought maybe you'd like chasing another Charming around," Emma teased.
"Ha ha," Regina dryly responded. "Go get Neal. I'll start the bath."
Within ten minutes, which was actually a remarkable record given Neal's energy and speed, Emma brought him to Regina's bathroom upstairs. He giggled as she carried him over her shoulder and smiled at Regina when the two of them locked eyes.
"One Charming little man, ready to go," the blonde said. "Well, sort of."
"Em-ma! Put me down," Neal laughed.
"Sure thing," Emma said as she put him back on his feet. Neal tried to run off again, but she stopped him. "Oh, no you don't, Kid."
He groaned and pouted, but allowed Emma to gently push him toward the tub where Regina sat on the ledge.
Regina chuckled and held out her arms for Neal. "Time to get you out of these," Regina said as she grabbed the bottom of Neal's shirt.
Neal raised his arms and let Regina undress him before she lifted him and set him down in the warm water. "Gina, you wash my hair 'gain? Like before?"
"Of course," Regina said with a smile. "But I think your sister should do the rest."
"Yeah! Emma, do the rest," Neal happily agreed.
"Thanks," Emma sarcastically said and sat down on the edge of the tub as well. Her knees knocked against Regina's when they turned to take care of Neal.
Regina rinsed out Neal's hair for a minute or two while Emma grabbed a washcloth and dipped it in the bath. When Emma wrung out the washcloth, she watched with rapt attention as Neal closed his eyes and smiled as he allowed Regina to bathe him. Her little brother looked content to have Regina run her fingers through his hair while she dumped water onto him over and over again.
Once his hair was completely soaked, the brunette set aside the cup she'd used to pour the bathwater on his head and picked up the shampoo.
"No tears," Neal said when he opened his eyes and followed Regina's hand as she moved the shampoo toward the two of them.
"That's right," Regina agreed with a smile. "But if it stings at all, you tell me. Okay?"
"'Kay," Neal replied with a single bob of his head.
"Close your eyes," Regina instructed.
Neal did as he was told, but he splashed his hands in the water while Regina lathered up his normally sandy blonde hair. Because it was wet, his hair looked more brown than blonde at that moment. Within the next minute, he started to hum while he sat almost completely still as Regina styled his hair.
Emma stifled her laughter as she watched Regina shape Neal's hair into a Mohawk. Her brother looked adorable as he patiently let it happen and Regina looked at ease for the first time in months. Things had been a little rocky and strained with Zelena since the redhead found her way back to Storybrooke for the sake of seeing her daughter. Though Zelena had been back for a year raising her daughter and keeping mostly to herself, she was still openly upset with Regina about having sent her off to Oz without her daughter in the first place.
Her parents may have thought they needed a date night, but every time Emma was around to see Regina babysit Neal she knew it was also something the brunette needed. He brought out Regina's smile and softer side just like Henry always did. It always warmed Emma's heart to see her son and her brother have that effect on the other woman. It was an incredible sight to see.
"Emma!"
Neal's loud voice pulled her away from deeper thoughts and she returned to the moment to see a soapy Mohawk at its finest.
"Pi-sure," Neal demanded with a wide smile as he threw up his arms, and in the process splashed droplets of water on both her and Regina.
Regina laughed and Emma made a face, though she continued to smile, as she wiped the water off her cheeks. She looked down to see the damage done to her clothes, which thankfully was minimal, before she pulled out her phone.
"Okay," she told him as she opened the camera app. "Ready?"
"Ready!"
"Say Flock of Seagulls," she said.
"What," Neal asked as he furrowed his brow and tilted his head.
Emma laughed as she snapped the photo. She took another one just in case either she or Neal had moved during the first one and then set her phone down on the wall shelf just beneath the medicine cabinet.
"You know he probably won't get that joke even when he's older," Regina rhetorically asked as she looked away from Neal for the first time since they entered the bathroom.
"Maybe not, but my mom understands it and that's all I need. Besides, you made the joke."
"Once," Regina corrected her. "I told her one time she looked like a member of A Flock of Seagulls in the Author's alternate reality and watched her weakly defend her actions as not being in her control. You're the one that likes to constantly bring it up."
Emma shrugged.
"And it's not even my best joke at your mother's expense," Regina added.
"That's not why I keep bringing it up," Emma said with bright eyes to match the bright smile on her face.
Regina frowned. "Then why do you do it?"
"Because my mom's reaction to me repeating one of your jokes is twice as funny as her reaction to making any kind of dig at her."
Regina arched a brow and a corner of her mouth curled into a lopsided smirk. "Really?"
"Oh yeah."
"Gina," Neal whined and splashed the water a few times for attention. Both women turned to him and saw his cute pout before he somewhat harshly said, "Hair."
"Alright, alright," Regina responded before she replaced the shampoo in her hand with the cup she'd set aside. "Close your eyes."
He tipped his head back and squeezed his eyes shut.
Regina filled the cup with water from the bath again and touched a hand to Neal's forehead to keep the runoff shampoo out of his eyes before she poured the water onto his hair. She repeated the action over and over and moved her free hand to occasionally run through his hair as a way to ensure all the shampoo was rinsed out.
"Thank you," Emma awkwardly blurted out when the silence gnawed at her a little too much.
"I'm pretty sure you've already said that tonight and it wasn't even on your behalf."
"This time it is."
Regina glanced at her before she rinsed off more of Neal's hair.
"I still have my house," Emma continued once Regina focused on Neal again. "The one I took over when I was…not really myself." She hesitated to reference her time as the Dark One, especially around Neal. Things hadn't ended well and she hated any reminders of that dark point in her life, much like Regina wasn't thrilled to be reminded of her time as the Evil Queen.
"I know how you feel about that place," Regina said. "Even if you aren't alone there, I wouldn't let you go back unless you were ready."
"But…my parents still have their apartment. They could have easily just gone to the bed and breakfast if they wanted somewhere to…crash after their date."
"If you're worried about this, you and Neal being here, as an imposition, it's not. It never has been."
"You say that, but—"
"But nothing. Now that Henry's hardly here, my home doesn't quite feel like a home without a little company."
"I doubt we're the kind of company you want," Emma quietly replied.
"Are you kidding? You two are great," Regina directed her words at Neal before she leaned in and smiled at him when he risked getting soap in his eyes to look at her. "And you're much better than the other potential company I could have."
"Yeah? Who's our competition," Emma asked.
Regina laughed and answered, "It's not much of a competition." She looked at Emma that time instead of Neal as she spoke. "You two will win every time."
Emma smiled like she had that day years ago in Regina's crypt.
"I love my niece, but things are just so complicated," Regina added.
"Well, it's not like things weren't complicated with us."
"No, but…it's not the same. Not now, and maybe not even before."
"You nearly killed me with your apple turnover," Emma wryly mentioned.
"What's that," Neal asked.
Regina took a deep breath and answered, "That is a delicious dessert I made for your sister. But I accidentally added the wrong ingredient, and Henry ate it instead. He was sick for a few hours and I haven't made it since."
"You make it for me?" Neal looked at her with wide, hopeful eyes.
Regina gave him a sad smile and said, "I don't know, sweetie. I'd have to make it with all the right ingredients this time and I'll have to ask your parents before I do."
"'Kay," Neal happily said. "Love you!"
"I love you, too," Regina replied.
"Kiss!"
Regina chuckled and put the cup down on the floor before she kissed Neal on the cheek.
"No, silly," he said through his laughter. "Here."
Emma cupped a hand over her mouth when Neal pointed at his lips, but the hand fell away and her own hushed laughter turned to an expression of awe as Regina gave Neal the kiss he'd asked for.
"Now Emma," he joyfully insisted.
"You want a kiss from me," Emma asked as she pointed at herself, to which Neal responded with a nod. "I thought that was just something you and Regina did."
"We do it now," he said before he lunged forward over the edge of the tub and wrapped his little arms around her neck, at least as much as he could reach. "Kiss!"
"You're all wet," Emma groaned.
"Kiss!"
Regina laughed beside them, which made Emma glare at her before the blonde relented and gave her brother a peck on the lips.
When Neal pulled away, Emma's tank top was soaked through from her chest to her hips. She picked at it and held it away from her skin with a frown.
"You can borrow one of my shirts," Regina offered before she looked at Neal and ruffled his wet hair. "You're just like your nephew."
"Henny," Neal cheered. "When Henny come home?"
"Not for a while, I'm afraid," Regina admitted. "But he'd love to see you as soon as he does."
Regina gently bopped Neal on the nose with her finger and smiled. It was infectious, as usual. Neal smiled back and so did Emma.
"Kiss!"
"We just did that," Regina said with a small laugh.
"Not me," Neal said like Regina was supposed to already know that. "You 'n Emma."
Regina's eyebrows shot to the top of her head before she found an excuse to change the subject. "Neal, we still have to get you cleaned up."
"Kiss!"
"Neal," Emma tried to sound authoritative, but her brother didn't let her finish her sentence.
"Kiss, kiss, kiss!"
The two women looked at each other and Emma blushed before she decided to move in. She leaned in and lingered up close before she kissed Regina's cheek.
"Like that," Emma asked Neal.
"No," he replied with a smile.
Emma hummed and leaned in again, careful to make sure Regina didn't look upset or appalled. She mostly only looked shocked after the kiss, but Neal's voice seemed to make her relax and live in the moment. So Emma kissed her other cheek.
"How about that," she asked Neal for his approval again.
"No," he repeated, a little less enthusiastically that time and a little more upset.
"Well, I don't think I can do this the way you want until you're clean and in bed," Emma explained.
Neal huffed and pouted, but said, "Fine."
"Thank you," Emma said to him before she grabbed the washcloth again.
Regina handed her the soap and as their hands brushed during the exchange, the brunette gave her a look. So much was said in her chocolate brown eyes and the expression was familiar. They'd danced around it for years, whatever it was that was between them. They were friends, but there was always something else just beneath the surface that neither had reached, or dared to outwardly acknowledge aside from the looks like the one Regina gave her in that moment.
Emma cleared her throat and finally looked away from Regina before she started to wash Neal. Neither of them talked for the remainder of the boy's bath and after several more minutes, he was completely clean.
"Now kiss," Neal suggested as he raised his arms and opened and closed his fists.
Regina held up a fluffy towel to wrap him in and did so as soon as the water had drained enough not to get the ends wet. She picked him up, as the opening and closing of his fists insisted he'd either wanted or had expected, and sat him down on her lap where she remained on the edge of the tub. Immediately, Neal started to rock back and forth with his excitement.
"Kiss, kiss," he repeated.
Emma looked at Regina to see the brunette's bright and beautiful smile. Regina's eyes then drifted back to Neal and up at Emma again as though to silently communicate something. Regina glanced between Neal and Emma a couple more times before the blonde started to understand. She flashed Regina a smile in response and leaned in toward Neal. Regina didn't wait too long before she did the same.
They each kissed one of his cheeks, a bubbly Neal between the two of them, but even as he laughed he wasn't satisfied.
"No! Do it right!"
"There's no right way to kiss someone," Emma informed him.
He sighed loudly and squirmed his way out of Regina's lap as he said, "You no fun."
Neal dashed out of the bathroom and as soon as he crossed the threshold into Regina's bedroom, the towel came undone and fell to the floor. He giggled once he was naked and, naturally, jumped up onto Regina's bed.
"Charming," Regina drawled with a grin.
Neal wriggled his way under the covers and leaned back against one of the pillows before he called out, "Gina, come read. It night, night."
"I swear, my brother loves you more than me," Emma said.
"Well, he did jump naked into my bed," Regina joked.
"Oh, I see how it is," Emma joked back before she peeled off her wet tank top and laughed before she bolted from the bathroom.
In only her bra and a pair of borrowed silk shorts, which came from Regina's dresser, Emma jumped on Regina's bed similarly to Neal. She slid under the covers and looked at Neal before the two of them giggled together.
"Come on, Gina," Neal called out again a moment later, laughter still audible in his voice.
"Yeah, Regina," Emma chimed in and smiled at the brunette. "Come on. This could be the last time you might ever get to chase a Charming…or two."
"I highly doubt that," Regina replied under her breath.
The brunette got up and walked in to join the other two in her room. Because Emma was on the side of the bed closest to the bathroom, Regina was forced to squeeze in next to her. That didn't sit well with Neal, however, who then crawled over Emma to situate himself between the two women.
"We really need to put jammys on you, little boy," Regina said before Neal lunged into a hug with her.
"No. I free," Neal exclaimed.
"Of course you take after your sister," Regina said. "If Emma could, she would be sleeping naked just like you."
Neal laughed when he faced Regina and then told Emma, "Do it."
"Oh. Uh, no, Kid. I can't do that. That's a, uh, special privilege and I don't have it."
"Only me," Neal asked with wide eyes.
"Only you," Emma said with a smile.
When he fell asleep, which wasn't too long after that moment, Regina looked over the top of Neal's head at Emma and said, "Being naked in my bed is a privilege, hmm?"
Emma cleared her throat and stuttered a little bit before she replied, "Yeah."
"So, you wouldn't be tempted to strip unless I told you to," Regina asked with a smirk.
"Um, are you asking me to?"
"Well, I certainly didn't ask you to answer the door in only a tank top and red lace panties the second day you were in town. But I suppose it's more fun if I get to tell you what to do…and what to take off."
Regina's eyes raked over Emma's body in the dark room before she slid down in bed to lay on her side beside Neal, who slept between them.
"Regina Mills, are you telling me you were checking me out that day?"
"I'm checking you out right now," Regina confessed with a smirk that was hard to see, but easy to hear in the tone of her voice.
Emma licked her lips before she took a page out of Neal's playbook. "Love you," she said to Regina.
Regina quietly chuckled, but didn't give her usual response like she would have with Neal. Instead, she leaned in over the boy and kissed Emma on the lips. It was the kiss Neal had wanted them to do in front of him, but that kiss was just the first. Almost as soon as they touched, the feeling of their lips against each other were addicting and they had to feel more. With Neal between them, kissing was all they did and nothing went above the teen rating. However, their kisses were not something a young child should witness and definitely wasn't the kind only friends shared.
When they finally parted, Emma had the biggest grin and Regina looked beautifully content.
"Tomorrow night, I'm taking you out," Emma said. "On a real date. Maybe outside of Storybrooke. And then we can drop by Henry's school and pay him a surprise visit."
Regina beamed at her and replied, "I'd love that."
Emma shifted closer to Regina and Neal. "Love you," she tried again.
Regina sighed, but continued to smile while she said, "I love you, too."