A/N: Apologies! I know this update has been long overdue, along with many of my other stories. I've been super busy job searching and I start on Monday, so I've been running around all over the place. So, my updates my take until the weekends now to upload for you all. But fear not! I will have weekends off, and plenty of time to continue writing! :) If there's one thing I love is writing and I'm not about to give it up. This chapter ends with a bit of angst. I hope you all love how I wrote it. Happy reading my dearest readers and thank you for your patience. Tomorrow I shall upload another chapter.
"Hey." Emma wore a foolish grin, holding onto a yellow birthday hat in one hand and a balloon that read Happy Birthday in big, colorful letters.
Regina let out a sound that was between a chuckle and a snort at the same time. "No." She hook her head, not wanting a big fuss done over her birthday.
Emma frowned, her head tilted as her eyes shot her a glare. "Come on, Gina. It's your birthday. Look, I was thinking I could strap this to the back of your chair," she flashes the balloon at her. "Put on the hat and we can take a wild ride around your apartment."
"Absolutely not." Her brow arches upward.
"Okay, just the balloon, then?" Emma pleads.
"How about we go for a drive?" Regina suggests.
Emma's ears perk up, "Okay. Where would you wish to go?"
"Anywhere you want."
"Seriously?" Her brows shoot up.
Regina nods. "Seriously."
A smile stretches out on the blonde's lips, "Well, I was thinking about taking you to a nice dinner, Possibly have another surprise for you later in the day."
"There's really no need. Birthday celebrations have never really been my cup of tea." Despite saying this, Regina couldn't help but smile a little at the blonde.
"Well, that was before you started dating me." Emma grins. "We… are… officially dating…?" Her eyes narrow.
Regina can't help to release a chuckle, "I believe we are, dear- yes. As I recall, we have shared a few intimate moments to put a seal to that." Her lips stretch out into a wide smirk, one that Emma can't help but have a smirk of her own over.
"Well… I wouldn't say we've shared them all just yet." Emma said this in a soft voice that sent shivers down Regina's body, but what made her insides explode was the contact the blonde's lips had with hers. She was thankful she could still feel the urge.
As for Emma, of course she dreamed of being with Regina… intimately. But she wasn't in a rush either, not with Regina. If and when it happened, she wanted it to be perfect. There was no rush on her end, and neither for Regina.
"Shall we go?" The brunette murmured after their kiss, her eyes opening to find Emma moving right behind her chair.
"Right behind you. Literally." Emma pushed her forward down the hall, listening to Regina's amused chuckle.
"Anywhere I want? You're sure?" Emma asks the brunette sitting beside her in the passenger seat of the yellow R8.
Regina nodded with a smile.
"Alright," Emma grins, starting up the car engine and driving out of the parking garage into the afternoon traffic. "Alexa, play Queen."
Radio Ga Ga begins playing on the radio, volume increasing as Emma turns it up with a smile stretched out on her lips.
Regina can't help but smile while shaking her head. Truth was, she didn't mind Emma's music at all anymore. She had done some research before on the band (not that she didn't know who they were) and she could see the appeal. They did have good songs.
"Where exactly are we going?" Regina asked the blonde.
"Well, I was thinking, if you don't mind, I'd like for you to meet Henry." Emma replied.
"Aren't we supposed to be dating for a while before I meet your son?" Her brow arched, as did Emma's.
"Well, you did give me free reign today." She glances down at her watch to check the time. "It's close to three, and he's about to get out of school. I haven't seen him lately, whenever I go look for him at Ingrid's house, he's never there."
"Fair enough." Who was she to prevent Emma from seeing her son? Even on her birthday. Besides, if things went well with them and they continued to date, she would have to meet Henry sooner or later.
Her wife and she did talk about having kids once upon a time ago. Could I even handle being a mother now in this state of my life? She wondered that a lot, especially since she met Emma.
Emma's eyes were trained on Henry, who was talking to a young man in a leather jacket. Fucking Will. She clicked her seat belt, "I'll be right back." Regina watched as the blonde rushed her way out of the vehicle and headed toward Henry, in front of the school.
"Henry!" She called out to her son, her hands tucked inside her jacket pockets.
"Hey, Em. Long time no see." Will smiled, going ignored by the blonde who only glared at him before turning her attention back to her son.
"Hey, how about you take a ride with me and my boss today? We'll take her to that ice cream place you like." She smiled at him.
Henry looked over at the bright yellow car. It was a cool car. "Okay." He looked up at Emma, who smiled more.
"Go wait by the car for me, huh?" She nudged him, watching him take off before turning back to Will.
"Great kid you got there, Em."
"What the hell are you doing talking to my kid?" She asked through clenched teeth.
"We were doing exactly that. Just talking." He shrugged. "What, I can't talk to him now?"
"No. I don't want you anywhere near him. You stay away from my kid." Her eyes glared right into his.
"Fine. Is there any way you can come work for me again? You know, like the old days. That sweet ride you got there could cost a pretty penny." Will's eyes moved toward the vehicle.
Emma scoffed, shaking her head at him before walking back toward the vehicle. No way was she stealing again. Especially not for Will. She was done with that.
"What was that about?" Henry asked her, standing by the car.
"Don't worry about it. You just stay away from him, alright? He's nothing but bad news. Trust me." Emma warned him, placing a free hand on his shoulder as she held the driver's side door open to allow him to hop in the back seat.
"Regina, this is Henry. Henry, Regina."
Regina looked over her shoulder, giving Henry a kind smile. "Hi."
"Hi. It's nice to meet you." Henry gave her a sad smile, looking at anywhere inside the car but Regina's eyes.
Emma twisted her body a little more, glaring right at her son. "Hey. Look her in the eye, Hen. Be polite."
"Sorry." Henry's gaze locked on Regina. "It's nice to meet you."
Regina smiled at him again, giving him a nod. "Nice to meet you, Henry. So, where are we going?" She asked, her eyes on Emma.
"To enjoy the best ice cream you've ever allowed your taste buds to have." She smirked, starting the car up and driving away.
Henry was passing his time on the pinball machine the ice cream parlor had, his eyes moved over to his mom, watching her how she scooped up some ice cream from her sundae and fed it to Regina right before wiping her mouth with such delicacy.
"Alright, now tell me that's not the best ice cream you've ever had."
"Mmm…" Regina closed her eyes for a moment, her voice soft. "I think my mouth just had an orgasm."
"Right?" Emma grinned, eating a spoonful for herself.
"It's delicious." She opens her mouth again, feeling her taste buds go crazy with delight at the taste of the ice cream as more was fed to her. She looked over to Henry who gave his attention back to the pinball machine. "He's a good kid." She told Emma.
"Yeah, he is." Emma smiled over at Henry. "Too good."
"You're a good mother, Emma." Regina's voice was soft, her eyes find gentle green ones staring back into hers.
Emma smiles, her hand places itself on top of Regina's. "I'll be right back," she stands and walks over to Henry, "You're doing good, kid." She eyes his high score. "Listen, Hen…" Her nerves settle into the pit of her stomach. "I need to talk to you about something really important."
"Is this about you liking your boss?" Henry asks her, taking her completely off guard.
Her eyes are wide, as well as her lips when Henry's eyes find her surprised expression.
"You know?" Her voice sounds as surprised as she looks.
"Mom," Henry raises a brow at her. "I'm fourteen. Not ten. Besides, I've heard you and Ingrid talk a lot." He looks over at Regina, who gives him a smile.
"Right," Emma chuckles. "I keep forgetting you're not a kid anymore."
"You're not asking for my approval here, are you?" He asks her.
"Well… No. But, I guess I want to make sure that you're alright with all this." She looks down at her shoes.
"Mom, it's your life. Okay? I know all about same sex relationships and what two women do-"
"O-okay." Emma shut her eyes for a moment, releasing a nervous chuckle. "Have you been talking to Ingrid about this?"
Henry flashed a tiny grin of his own.
"You know, I actually don't want to know." Emma smiled, her cheeks a shade of pink. This is the first time she's seen Henry smile with her over anything. She liked it.
Henry had a smudge of ice cream that Emma took notice of and quickly pulled a napkin out of her jacket pocket to wipe the smudge away. It took her son completely by surprise, but he held still and allowed her to continue wiping him.
"So, you want to come help us with this ice cream or what?" She asked him with a smile stretched across her lips.
"Sure." He walked over to the table where Regina patiently waited, along with Emma.
Emma pulled the car over near a skate park that was all too familiar to her. "See there?" She pointed toward the park. "That park was my home away from home when I was Henry's age. I used to skateboard on every ramp."
"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Regina grinned.
"You could not skateboard!" Henry challenged her.
"Could to!" Emma looked over her shoulder at her son. "Just ask Ingrid or August, they'll tell you."
"Do you still remember how to do some tricks?" Henry asked her.
Emma shrugged one shoulder, "Some, I'm not fourteen anymore, but I still remember some moves."
"Could we come back here some other day? Could you teach me?"
The blonde couldn't believe what she was hearing. Henry actually wanted to spend time with her! She looked over at Regina who smiled at her, giving her a small nod.
"Yeah. Of course. I'd love to teach you." She smiled at Henry before driving away.
Emma pulled over in front of Ingrid's apartment complex, watching Henry make his way out of the car as he said his goodbye to Regina.
"Bye! It was nice meeting you!" Henry smiled at her, waving.
"Wait here a minute? I have to talk to Henry."
"I won't drive away." Regina smiled at her, seeing Emma's own lips stretch out into a grin.
Emma rushed over to Henry, pulling him back from his backpack. "Hey, kid, wait up a second. I have to talk to you."
"Mom, I already told you, I'm fine if you and Regina-"
"That's great, kid, but that's not what I need to talk to you about." She shifted uncomfortably on her feet, her hands tucked inside her pockets as a nervous habit. After releasing a heavy sigh, she said, "Look, um… That book I gave you…"
"Yeah?"
"Well, I'm gonna need it back." Ugh, she really hated herself right now. Especially after having a great day with her son, and now he gave her this look of pure disappointment.
"Why?" He asked, already knowing the answer.
Emma turned to glance at Regina before turning back to Henry. "Well, you see the thing is that, that book… It wasn't-"
"It wasn't yours to give." Henry finished her sentence, disappointment and now anger lingering in his voice. His head shook.
"I'm sorry, kid." Emma frowned.
Henry's eyes fell on Regina, who had no idea what was going on but could sense tension from afar. "Is it her book?" He asked Emma, looking back into her eyes.
"Who's?" Her brow furrowed. She felt like throwing up right now.
"Your boss. Or your girlfriend." His eyes glared right through her. "Did you steal it from her?"
Emma remained silent, breaking contact with her son's eyes. All she heard was a chuckle escape him before she saw Henry rush toward the passenger window of the car, which was rolled down.
"Hey- Henry!" She called out to him, watching him open up his backpack and pull the book out, holding it in front of Regina before she could even stop him.
"I didn't know this was yours." Henry told Regina, who's eyes gazed down at the familiar book and a frown took over her lips. He placed the book on the woman's lap and stormed past Emma.
"Hey!" Emma pulled him back by his arm. "What the hell is wrong with you?" She whispered, glaring at him.
"Let me go!" Her son yanked his arm away and continued his path toward the apartment building, leaving Emma standing in shame, too afraid to even look at Regina.