A sharp, ear piercing wail echoed through the baby monitor.

Regina sat up as pulled by a string. She knew what that was. Neal was crying. Neal was hungry and needed his diaper changed. She should take care of that.

But she only managed to swing one leg out of bed before it happened.

Knives slashing through her skull. Drum solos going off in her head.

Oh, god.

She grimaced as she brought a hand up to her forehead. Her head. Hurt. So. Badly. The hangover washed over her in intense waves. Headache. Dizziness. The general feeling of being poorly.

"Back to bed, Mills," Emma said softly. "I'll get him."

"You...d-d-don't h-h-h-have...to," Regina tried to protest. "I c-c-c-can t-t-take...him."

"You could. Doesn't mean you should. Lie back down. I'll change him and give him a bottle and I'll bring you a glass of water, yeah? Try and get some more sleep."

Oh god, yes. Sleep. That was exactly what she needed right now. "I...l-l-l-love y-y-y-y-you," she moaned and eased herself back down under the covers. Still with one hand pressed against her forehead. It felt like her fucking head was going to fall off.

"Yeah, you said that a lot last night too."

Regina remembered that. All of it. Last night had been incredible. "L-I-I-I h-h-had f-fun last...night," she said hoarsely. "T-t-this...morning?...n-n-no." definitely not. Oh, god, she regretted certain things.

Emma chuckled. "Sorry about the hangovers, babe."

Well. Not much to do about it. "M-m-my...own...f-f-fault," she said grimly.

Then Neal wailed through the baby monitor again, and she groaned as the sound echoed through her skull and slashed her brain to pieces. Or so it felt.

"I'll get him." Emma hopped out of bed. There was a slight squeaky sound, and Regina guessed that Emma just had opened the closet.

"Thank...you...m-m-m-my...love," she rasped and barricaded herself under the covers.

Oh, my goodness, she felt so awful. It felt like she had been hit by a bus. No. a truck. A cruiser. A train. The headache was terrible. Her head was throbbing agonizingly, and she gave a distressed little moan. She was definitely not okay.

She grabbed the pillow and pulled it over her head. How could it be light in here when it was still dark? Her eyelids hurt. Her throat was so dry. It felt like her tongue was sticking to the roof of her mouth. Not very comfortable at all.

She moaned again. There was definitely a lesson to be learned. And it wasn't difficult to figure out exactly what that lesson was. She shouldn't have had so much wine last night. She was not twenty five anymore. Her alcohol tolerance was not what it used to be. She couldn't remember the last time she had been as drunk as she had last night.

She would never drink again. Never, never, never.

She swallowed in an attempt to moisten her dry throat and considered her current state. She was definitely miserable right now, yes, but she had not been last night. Absolutely not. Stumbling into bed had been nice. Straddling Emma had been even better. Emma's soft hands on her body had been absolutely divine. Some of the memories were a bit hazy, but she still was able to remember what had happened. All the glorious details from when she was straddling Emma.

And she also remembered what had happened before they started to make love. Emma had asked her if she would be able to remember it tomorrow. Emma had made sure that everything that happened was something they both wanted.

Despite feeling like her entire head could fall off at any given moment, Regina smiled. Emma had been so wonderful last night, So gentle and considerate.

And of course everything that happened last night, had been something that Regina wanted. All of it. Yes, she had been drunk, but that hadn't altered anything.

Drunk or not, Regina would always be in the mood for Emma Swan.

Well…. Except for right now, perhaps.

She let out a puff of air and curled into a ball under the covers. At least Neal had stopped wailing. She supposed that was something. Neal's quietness could only mean one thing. Emma was with her right now. Regina groaned again. She should be with Neal too right now. She was missing out on spending time with their son. And Emma. Darn it.

Hopefully, she would feel a lot better later. Well enough to get out of bed. Right now, just the thought alone made her feel dizzy. She was definitely not well enough to get out of bed right now. She was so dizzy. Seriously, every time she opened her eyes, it was like the entire room was sailing before her eyes.

Better keep my eyes closed, then. That was easily done. Her eyelids were so heavy, they just automatically slid closed. Regina wasn't complaining. With her eyes closed, she was able to exist. Ish.

She let go of the pillow she had pressed against her head earlier. Had just realized that putting any kind of pressure on her head was not good. Urgh, why couldn't her skull just go numb or something? At least for a little while. That would be absolutely divine. And so would black curtains. Some of those curtains that blocked out all night. Maybe she should purchase some of those curtains. Just in case. Not that she ever would drink again. Absolutely not. No, her life without alcohol started right now. Never again would she touch as much a drop of wine. Never.

She let out a long breath and tried to relax. Not difficult at all. It felt like the covers and bed was trying to swallow her whole. Regina didn't mind being swallowed one bit. She was only happy to drown in the covers. Sink all the way into the mattress and just surrender to the groggy feelings swirling in her body.

If only her headache would go away. Regina huffed. Seriously, never would she drink wine again! That was the promise she was making to herself right now. And she was intending to honor that promise!

She was feeling incredibly sorry for herself when she heard the faintest creak of the bedroom door being pushed open. Soft footsteps across the carpet. Then the faintest little thud as something was sat down gently on the bedside table. A familiar scent wafted into her nose. Warm vanilla with a dash of honey. The Emma Swan scent.

"Mmm," Regina murmured and lifted her head. Emma always smelled so good.

"Sorry. I tried to be quiet," Emma whispered.

"I-I-I-I...w-was already...a-a-a-awake," she managed.. "Is...N-n-n-n-Neal asleep?"

"He is," Emma confirmed. "And so should you be, Mills. This is way too early for you."

No. Regina couldn't sleep right now. She had spotted the glass of water and two aspirins on the bedside table. She needed liquid and medicine more than she needed sleep. So she sat up and ignored the slight chill hitting her naked body as she reached for the glass of water and the two pills. She placed the two tablets on her tongue and took a big gulp of water. At least her stomach was sort of doing her bidding. She had no problem with swallowing the pills and water.

"T-t-t-thank y-y-y-y-you," she croaked and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. It came away bright red. It took her a second to release that it was the remains of her lipstick she had just wiped away. Urgh. She probably looked haggard.

"You're welcome. How's the head?" Emma asked.

"Not...g-g-great," Regina admitted and took the opportunity to scold herself. "I...s-s-s-shouldn't have...drank so much...l-l-last night."

"I'm sorry, baby," Emma said tenderly.

Regina groaned in response and sat the empty glass down on the bedside table. Then she lied back down. Turned her head very, very carefully so she could look at Emma.

Emma wasn't looking at her, though. No, her gaze had traveled a bit further down. Had Regina felt just a tad less miserable, she would have said something teasing about Emma ogling her breasts. Now she settled for a weak chuckle and a: "last night...w-w-was very...nice."

"Mmm," Emma noddingly agreed. "Can I say something that sounds really weird?"

"Yes," Regina said, chuckling tiredly once more. If Emma had to pick a time to say something weird, it surely should be right now where Regina wasn't all that sharp.

"Your voice is like...really sexy when you're hungover."

Okay. Definitely not what she had expected, but obviously very nice. Regina loved when Emma complimented her voice, and she laughed heartedly as she burrowed under the covers again. "Thank...you."

Emma took her in her arms. Regina did not mind the closeness. She could use a bit of comfort and closeness this morning. Whilst paying for last night's 'sins'. She palmed her forehead again. "That...is the...last time...I'm...drinking."

"Nah," Emma said and chuckled softly. "I doubt that, beautiful."

"I...don't," Regina muttered defiantly and curled up in Emma's arms. Seriously, she was so done with drinking. Honest to god. She was ready to pledge her sobriety vows right here and now.

Emma stroked her hair and found that to be awfully sleep inducing.

"Hey, babe? Can I ask you something?"

"Mmmm," was all she managed and hoped that it wasn't a big, complicated question. She couldn't deal with those right now. It would have to wait until later.

"Where did you learn the expression "tight as a boiled owl"?"

The question was followed by a slight grinning sound, and Regina lifted her head slightly. "What?"

"You said that last night when we came home," Emma told her.

"Oh." Regina chuckled a bit as well. This was definitely not a big, complicated question at all. Thank god for that. "That w-w-was...something...m-m-m-my father...used to say...when he had a...bit...t-t-t-oo...much to drink."

"I totally dig that expression, beautiful," Emma snickered. "And so did Malena, by the way."

Oh god. Malena heard it? Ugh, I'll never hear the end of it. Malena was the type of person who always remembered everything. A blessing and a curse. When they were together, Malena had never missed a date or an anniversary.

But when she said something embarrassing, trust Malena to always remember it. "Please...tell...me I didn't...say anything...embarrassing," she moaned.

"Nah, you're good. Though you did express that you wanted to go to bed. With me."

Ah. Well then. That's not… too bad. No. It definitely could have been worse, she decided. Malena could handle a little bluntness. Regina was not about to be embarrassed about it. "In... vino veritas," she murmured. In wine lies the truth.

Emma laughed softly and kissed the top of her head. "Right you are, beautiful."

Regina was so sleepy. Her eyelids were starting to feel heavier and heavier. She couldn't handle anymore talking. Right now, there was only one thing she could handle. And that was…

"A...bit more...sleep?"

"Absolutely." Emma hugged her into her chest. "Sleep well, beautiful."

How can I do anything but that when this is how I go to sleep? Despite the headache, and despite feeling achy, Regina was still grateful. Because she had someone who took care of her. Someone who had brought her water and aspirins. It was a stark contrast from the last time she had been properly hungover.

That had been in the cabin. The morning after she had destroyed her wedding dress in a drunken rage. She had been all alone and very sad.

She wasn't alone this time. And she definitely wasn't sad. Yes, she was hungover, but last night had been fantastic. First the magnificent date and then the magnificent sex they'd had later.

Oh yes, Regina definitely fell asleep with a smile on her lips….

"Sweetheart? Honey? Darling? Love of my life? Cuddly-wuddly?"

"What was...that?" She lifted her head from the comfortable pillow that turned out to be Emma Swan's chest. "What did...you just...call me?"

"Cuddly-wuddly?" Emma grinned up at her. "That suits you perfectly. And especially today."

"That's an...interesting pet...name." Regina blinked and tried to wake up. Tried to evaluate everything at once. The light outside had changed. It had to be later in the day. She had slept. Good. Now how was she feeling? A little bit better? Possibly?

It was too early to tell.

"Believe me, I've got plenty more where that came from," Emma said, grinning again. "What about... Bunbuns? Or... Hot stuff? Oh yeah, that's a good one. Or maybe... Pooh Bear? Lollipop? Sweet pea?"

"You are...ridiculous," Regina told her girlfriend. Even though 'hot stuff' sort of applied to her.

"Wonder Woman?" Emma eagerly suggested and winked at her. "Milady? Lambchop? Wifey?"

Wifey, huh? Regina noted that Emma looked a little bit embarrassed now.

Regina couldn't see that there was anything to be embarrassed about. She chuckled a bit as she rolled off Emma's body and positioned herself next to her instead. "I don't...think we're quite...there yet... Mi Corazón." See, Emma wasn't the only one who could spout silly nick names.

"And somehow that sounds better than all the nicknames I came up with."

Perhaps it was. Deciding that she was feeling well enough to stand, Regina rose from bed and walked over to the closet. Her legs felt a bit weak, but she managed to find one of Emma's long t-shirts and a fresh pair of panties. She couldn't walk around naked.

"Babe?"

"Mmmm?" Regina hummed and stepped into the panties. She tugged them up, so they covered what they needed to cover and then she slipped Emma's long t-shirt over her head. Emma's t-shirts were always made of the softest material in the world, and Regina suspected that Emma had bought more of them for her sake. Because she knew that Regina loved wearing them.

"You're not mad about the wifey thing, are you?"

Emma sounded genuinely worried about it. She had no reason to be, though. Regina chuckled warmly. "No... Mi Corazón. I am...not. And I...wouldn't mind...that update...someday."

"Neither would I," Emma grinned. Then she went quiet.

Regina observed her. Saw that dreamy smile on Emma's lips. What was she thinking about right now? Regina had a feeling that she already knew. She was thinking about the same.

Marriage. A wedding. Slipping a ring on Emma's finger and saying, 'I do'. Regina could picture it. Absolutely. Marrying Emma would be the most wonderful thing in the world. And it would also be one of the easiest. The thought of marrying Emma was not scary at all. Purchasing a new wedding dress, planning a new wedding and sending out new invitations… Regina was not scared.

Because this time it would be different.

This time she would be marrying Emma.

There would be no fear.

No expectations.

No silent demand for perfection.

Marrying Emma would be exactly right.

But obviously, not yet.

Regina quickly shook her head to make the thoughts go away. It was far too early to think about all this. She and Emma were in a good place. Regina would lean back and relax. Be along for the ride and see where it took them. Any destination would make her happy. Because this was Emma.

Emma who still was wearing that dreamy smile. Time to bring her back to me.

"Are you...disappearing...on me?" She asked and chuckled softly.

"Someone feels better," Emma teased.

"Mmm," Regina hummed. Definitely better. "My...headache is...almost gone."

"Happy to hear that." Emma ran her fingers through her messy hair.

"Are you...going to get...out of bed?" Regina inquired, picking up on the familiar sound of fussing coming through the baby monitor. "I think...our boy's needs...us."

"Our boys," Emma repeated. There was that dreamy smile again. "Wow, that sounds awesome!"

Now Neal was straight up wailing through the baby monitor. Regina sprang into action and dashed out of the door. She was feeling better, and she was planning on taking advantage of that.

She opened the door to Neal's nursery and went over to the crib. Neal was still crying and flailing his little arms and legs in the air in anger over being 'neglected'.

"Hi…. There," Regina greeted him.

Neal stopped mid-wail and looked up at her with those big blue eyes. "Guuuh," he cooed, fury already forgotten.

Regina chuckled, and just as she was picking him up, Emma came into the bedroom wearing a robe over her t-shirt.

Regina kissed Neal on the forehead and observed: "Someone needs...a diaper change." Badly. The odor radiating from Neal was…. not good.

"Want me to do it?" Emma offered.

"No, you...took care of him...this morning when...I was unwell," Regina smilingly reminded her partner.

"Which I happily did."

Regina chose to ignore that and came up with a better idea: "Why don't you...make the...coffee instead? And maybe...wake Henry?"

"That I can do. But it's totally on you if he gets angry because we woke him up before ten," Emma teased.

"That's a...risk I'm...willing to take." She wasn't particularly worried about Henry's supposed wrath. She placed Neal on the changing table and made sure to keep one hand on his round little belly to keep him in place while she searched for a fresh diaper in the drawer.

"Don't pee on your mom today, kiddo," Emma laughed she left the room.

Regina chuckled softly as she peeled Neal's sleeper off of him. Then the dirty diaper. She disposed of it and said: "you heard… your mom, little one. "No….peeing, alright?"

"Gah!" said Neal and tried to grab her hair.

"And none….of that either." She tickled his little belly and made him squeal in delight. He drooled and kicked up his pudgy little legs.

Regina smiled as she grabbed a fresh washcloth so she could clean what needed to be cleaned. Once Neal was clean and powdered and smelled like roses, she started snapping the fresh diaper in place.

"No… wiggling," she said gently.

Obviously, Neal did just that. And having fun with it too. His wiggling made things a tiny bit difficult, but Regina managed to snap on his diaper.

"There… we go," she said, tickling his belly again.

Neal squealed again.

"Mommy loves…. You," Regina told him and felt happy from the top of her head and to the tip of her toes. She could call herself that now. Mommy. Neal's mommy. Perhaps the adoption hadn't been finalized yet, but it would be. It was only a matter of time.

"I'll be here for… all of it," she told the happy baby on the changing table. "The first time you…. Crawl. Your first…steps….your first…words. All of…it."

Neal would grow up in this house. Right here on this changing table, Regina would be changing his diapers for a long while. Neal would be sleeping in the crib for years. He would be taking his first steps somewhere in the house or in the garden. The baby would become a toddler sticking his little nose in everything and using his small hands to investigate everything. They would have to child-proof everything in the house. But that was alright. It was more than alright.

Regina bowed her head so she could blow raspberries on Neal's belly. He gurgled happily, and she imagined him growing up. His first day of school. Enrolled as Neal-Swan Mills.

"Like… Malena said. You fit…. Right in," she said. Then she snapped his sleeper back on and carried him downstairs.

In the kitchen, she was greeted by a scent that was most delicious. Regina sniffed and observed: "something...smells delicious!"

"That would be bacon," Emma smiled.

Bacon. Oh yes. If there was something Regina was in the mood for right now, it definitely was bacon! "sounds...good. I'm absolutely...famished!" She said as she plopped Neal into his bouncer and went over to grab his bottle and formula. She imagined that she wasn't the only one who was hungry this morning.

"Hey mom? Have you found my duffel bag yet? I'm going to need it for the school trip!"

"The...school trip." What school trip? She had absolutely no idea what Henry was talking about. He's not going on a school trip, is he? No, he has to be mixing up the dates. I don't remember hearing anything about a school trip. She looked at Emma in the hopes that she could clear things up for her, but Emma looked just as confused as Regina felt.

"Yeah, the school trip I'm going on tomorrow." Henry frowned. "Did...you guys forget about that?"

"No," Regina said quickly, immediately brushing aside Henry's concern. Never in a million years would she admit to having forgotten one of Henry's school related events. And especially not an event as important as the school trip he had been talking about. She remembered it now. "Of...course not. I'll...find your d-duffel bag once...we've had...breakfast, okay?"

"Cool," Henry said, turning his attention back to his toast and bacon.

Regina quickly sterilized Neal's bottle and prepared the formula. Whilst doing so, so she turned her head and looked at Emma to silently communicate that she had completely forgotten Henry's school trip.

Emma chuckled into her coffee. Clearly, she had forgotten about it too.

Somehow, that made Regina feel a little better. When the bottle was ready, she brought it over to Neal, who eagerly opened his little mouth. Definitely hungry.

"Are you looking forward to the school trip, kid?" Emma asked.

Regina tried not to be too openly amused. Emma was really getting into the whole 'I completely forgot, so now I'm super casual about it'-thing.

"Yup," Henry grinned and popped the 'p' like he often did.

"And how long was it you're going for? A couple of days, right?"

"No, Ma, it's a week," Henry scowled.

"Oh yeah, that's right. My bad. I'm getting old."

Old. Emma was probably the furthest thing from old, but nice save.

"Oooh," said Neal around the bottle. Regina cooed right back at him and made sure he didn't get distracted when Emma's cellphone rang. The sound had Regina's head complaining a bit. So her headache wasn't completely gone after all.

Emma was quick to make the sound disappear though, and Regina smiled at how happy her partner sounded when talking to David and referring to Neal as their son and David's grandson. It all came so natural. And from what she could hear, David was much more interested in hearing about Neal. He seemed to ask lots more questions than he had before. Perhaps it was easier now that things had shifted. Now that he knew that the responsibility was no longer his.

Neal suckled at the bottle and made Henry laugh and briefly look up from his phone. "He sure is hungry, isn't he?"

"He…is," Regina agreed. She was feeding Neal with one hand and herself with the other. And now frowning too. Phones at the table, really?

"He seems calmer than he was when he first came here," Henry observed.

"You're…right," Regina nodded. Neal had been a bit uneasy when he first was brought here. Now he was just a happy little boy. Almost as though he knew that he had found a safe place to land. She glanced at her oldest son and wondered how many stern mom looks she would have to send him before he realized that he was breaking the whole 'no phones while eating'-rules.

"David sends his love as always," Emma said after having concluded the phone call.

"Does he still want you guys to adopt Neal?" Henry asked her and looked worried.

"He sure does, kid," Emma said, ruffling Henry's hair. "That is not going to change, buddy."

"Good," Henry said and turned his attention back to his phone.

Regina finished feeding Neal and wiped the droplets of milk away from his chin with the bib. She looked at Henry again. He was still looking at that damned phone. Regina had had enough. "Henry, please put the...phone away... you're having breakfast...right now."

"Sorry," Henry actually sounded sorry. And he put his phone away. Good.

Regina was very satisfied. She preferred a phone free morning. Davis's daily phone calls was the exception to the rule. That was different.

"Mooooom?" Henry asked in that pleading tone he only ever used when he wanted something.

"Y-yeeeees?" Regina teased, and felt quite satisfied when she made Emma laugh into her coffee.

"Can I go hang out with Nick today?"

Henry's voice was still very sweet, but Regina was not entirely satisfied. She lifted an eyebrow and looked at her son. He could do better than this.

"May I go hang out with Nick today?" Henry immediately corrected.

Hmm. She pursed her lips. "What...time?"

"After we've had breakfast?" Henry asked hopefully, now batting his big brown eyes at her.

"Hmm. I don't...know about that." Regina took a sip of her coffee. "It's a bit...short notice, Henry."

"Please?" Henry begged. "Nick's just gotten this new game, and he really wanted to show it to me."

Regina sighed and wondered how on earth she was supposed to resist that. Gaming was one of Henry and Nick's biggest passion. They could talk about it for hours. And the games they played were never violent ones. Nick was not allowed to purchase violent games, and Regina couldn't even begin to explain how satisfied she was with that. She applauded Nick's parents for their decision. Henry wasn't allowed to play violent games either.

There was enough violence in the world already. Henry didn't need to play games revolving around it.

"Nick said that his dad could stop by here and pick me up," Henry continued coaxingly. "You or Ma won't have to drive me."

"You've thought of everything, haven't you, kid?" Emma chuckled.

"Yup," Henry said and managed to sound both innocent and cheeky at the same time.

Well then. Regina clicked her tongue and decided that there was absolutely no reason to say no to her son. "Alright then. You...may go and visit...your friend. You did all...your homework yesterday, didn't you?"

"Yup. Mal helped me," Henry confirmed.

"Good boy," Regina praised and smiled at him. "Home before...eight, okay? Tomorrow...is a...school day."

"Of course. Thanks, mom," Henry beamed at her. "You're the best!"

"You are," Emma agreed and grinned at her.

Regina smiled back, but for some reason, the gesture made her temple ache. Again. She grimaced as she lifted a hand and attempted to massage said temple a bit.

"Headache still not completely gone?"

"Unfortunately...not."

"You need some more coffee," Emma said and rose from the seat. She grabbed Regina's cup. "Here, I'll get you some."

"Thank you...my love."

"You are so welcome." As quickly as one-two-three, the now filled coffee cup was standing in front of Regina again. "Here you go. One strengthening cup of coffee for the lady."

"Ruby...could learn from... you," Regina quipped.

"I'll tell her you said that, Mills," Emma jokingly threatened.

Regina chuckled. Hopefully, Emma wouldn't. She could end up having Regina banished from the inn, or something.

"Hooh!"

"Shush, kiddo, your mom has a headache," Emma scolded their youngest.

Regina was amused, but didn't find it funny for long. Her cellphone started chiming and made her headache worse.

"That'll be Zelena," Emma said cleverly.

Regina groaned. Oh god, not right now! "I love...my sister, but I wish...she wouldn't...be so loud."

Emma's chuckle was as soft as the hand squeezing hers. "Want me to answer it for once, beautiful? Tell her that you're-"

"No," Regina interrupted and made a point of not shaking her aching head. "No, I'll...answer it. Otherwise she'll only...get worried. You know...what she's like."

"Constantly worrying about her baby sister," Emma smirked.

"Exactly." She went into the living room where she apparently had abandoned her phone last night. She swiped a finger across the screen and lifted the phone to her ear.

"Good morning…. Zelena," she said strained. "Can you… do me a favor and….speak….softly? I am hungover."
Zelena did not speak softly. She laughed. Loudly. Regina had to threaten to hang up on her…..

Immediately after breakfast, Henry was picked up by Nick's father. Henry was so eager, he couldn't even say goodbye properly. He merely shouted 'bye!' at them from the doorway before slamming it and running outside.

The sound positively echoed in Regina's head.

"Bye then." Emma chuckled a bit. "Have fun."

"He really...must learn not to...slam the doors," Regina grumbled as she stuffed the last plate into the dishwasher.

"He was excited," Emma smiled.

"He...was," Regina agreed and sighed. Of course. She was just being overly sensitive. "Do forgive me. The headache...is making me...cranky."

"That's okay." Emma was suddenly behind her. Her arms wrapped around Regina's waist and pulled her in for a chest-to-back hug. "How about a quiet day in?"

"That sounds...nice," Regina hummed. She was all for having a quiet day in. That was exactly what she needed. Rest and nursing her hangover. She definitely shouldn't be distracted by Emma's arms around her waist. It reminded her of when they were in bed last night.

"We could watch a movie," Emma continued.

"Even...better."

"Is there something in particular you're in the mood for?"

Regina chuckled warmly. Well. "I could think of...several things, but I'm...guessing you meant...movies."

"I did, but I do like how your mind works," Emma snickered and squeezed her a bit. "Perhaps we can...catch up on...all that when...Henry is...away on his...school trip?" Regina suggested and adopted that shy tone she knew Emma loved.

Henry's weeklong school trip was a gift from the higher powers, Regina was sure of that. Now they would have plenty of time for adult-activities.

"You and your beautiful brain," Emma fluttered her fingers lightly over her stomach, and Regina squirmed because it tickled. "I would absolutely love to catch up on 'all that'."

"It's a...date," Regina grinned.

"And a very hot one too," Emma drawled. "But first we have one with the television this afternoon. What movie do you want to watch, babe?"

Regina sighed upon remembering an annoying little detail. "I actually...have a bit of...work I should be...doing."

"Later," Emma sweetly coaxed her. "First a movie."

"Okay." It was the easiest thing in the world to postpone her work.

"So, what will it be, beautiful?"

Regina had many favorites, but today she was in the mood for one particular movie. "'Midnight in Paris'?"

"Professor Mills, you are a hopeless romantic and I am here for it" Emma gently spun her around and flashed her a tender smile. "'Midnight in Paris'it is."

"Do you think...Henry will hate us...if we make popcorn without him?" Regina quipped. The salty bacon hadn't been quite enough for her. She needed something more.

"We won't tell him." Emma cupped her cheek. "It'll be our secret."

"Our...secret," Regina agreed, glancing down at herself. She had brushed her teeth and hair, but she was still wearing the long t-shirt. And a pair of pajama pants. And she had very little desire to change that. "I don't think...I want to...get dressed today," she happily announced.

"Me neither," Emma grinned. "We're having a slumber party. Awesome!"

Regina chuckled but not for long. Her headache chose this moment to remind her of its existence. "Stupid headache," she muttered under her breath. "Stupid hangover!"

"You look cute with hangovers, though." Emma brushed a thumb over her cheek.

"I look...like a mess," Regina huffed.

"Where?" Emma's hands crawled up her hips and squeezed. "Definitely not here." She grinned. Moved her hands behind Regina now. "Nor here."

"Emma!" Regina scolded when her butt was squeezed rather unabashedly. "I'm already...thinking too much about...last night. You are not...helping."

"Good, because I'd very much like to hear your thoughts about last night, Mills."

Regina scoffed. She was pretty sure Emma already knew what she was thinking about last night.

"I'm serious," Emma continued and blinked innocently at her. "What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think about last night?"

There was only one answer to that. Regina slotted their lips together in a soft, quick kiss.

"Good answer," Emma praised. "Can I hear your second thought then?"

Regina kissed her again. Since she was not wearing shoes, she had to stand on her tippy toes, but that didn't last long. Emma lifted her. Sat her on the kitchen counter.

Regina saw nothing wrong with that. She smiled at her partner and used her legs to draw Emma closer until she was standing in the V between her legs. Regina then wrapped her legs around Emma's waist and kissed her again. Her fingers slipped into Emma's soft locks. Emma tasted of toothpaste and smelled like honey, and Regina thought to herself that maybe having a hangover wasn't so bad after all.

This was definitely so much better than the last time she'd been hungover. A glimpse of herself alone and miserable in the cabin flittered through Regina's mind. But it was only there briefly. Was replaced by the happy here and now. The reality. Which was this:

She was kissing Emma.

Emma was kissing her.

In the middle of the kitchen.

Their son was asleep upstairs, and in a moment they would be snuggling up on the couch to watch a movie with a bowl of popcorn between them. Before lunch.

Scandalous.

Wonderful.

Another perfect Sunday, Regina thought to herself as she used her legs to squeeze Emma's waist just a little bit….

To Be Continued…..