Regina set down the steaming hot plates and took her seat at the head of the table.
"Bom apetite." She raised her glass and smiled coyly at the blonde sat next to her.
Emma raised her own glass and clinked it against her host's. She felt a bit awkward and out of her depth as she locked eyes with the magnificent woman who was mentally worrying about whether or not she would enjoy the food. She took a hearty bite of the salmon and moaned with gusto.
"Oh God Regina. This is heaven!"
Regina tensed slightly and Emma heard a fragmented thought she wasn't sure what to make of. '...Satisfied... scream... no! Don't go there dear. But... oh! I'll show you...'
"Heaven is what comes after death, Miss Swan. That can still be arranged."
Emma grinned.
"If this is what your idea of slow torture is then sign me up!" She knew how it had sounded as soon as she said it and blushed as Regina mentally considered just how she could slowly torture the blonde into screaming for mercy. Her tongue lightly touched her bottom lip.
"Well I'm flattered you enjoy my cooking so much. I wasn't sure if you were a fish eater or not."
"Oh yeah, I love seafood."
Regina bit her lip stilling a smile. Emma clearly enjoyed her cooking and it made her feel warm. She really liked pleasing people.
Henry stared back and forth between his mothers noticing the lingering looks and banter which seemed to be more playful than normal. He was feeling a bit left out of the loop and he didn't like it.
"Hey Ma, after dinner will you come and play video games with me?'
Regina felt the disappointment wash over her. She had been quite looking forward to a night of getting to know the sheriff but she should have expected Henry to want to scuttle them both away to his room without her.
Emma gave Henry a pained smile. "You know kid, any other night I'd be down for that but your Mom and I need to catch up. Raincheck?"
Henry frowned deeply. "But you guys said there wasn't a crisis in town."
"There isn't but.." Emma wasn't sure how to continue that line. She didn't have a good reason other than the fact that she actually wanted to spend time with his other mother. Regina stared intently, interested to hear how the blonde would explain her intentions to both of them.
"So why don't you wanna play with me? Is She making you say that?" He glared accusingly at Regina.
Emma huffed. "No, Henry. Don't say stuff like that. Nobody makes me do or say anything I don't want to. Just because you aren't getting things go your way doesn't mean you can be rude to your mom. Look at this awesome meal she's prepared for us. It must've taken hours and I bet you haven't even said thanks."
Henry lowered his head and muttered. "So you just don't wanna play with me anymore. I thought you liked me."
Regina and Emma exchanged pained looks.
"Of course I like you kid! But I kinda like your Mom too and I wanna hang out with her tonight ok? We can play video games another time."
Regina was surprised. She'd never really imagined Emma putting her foot down with their son. She assumed she gave in to his every whim and fed him candies and soda for breakfast.
Emma rolled her eyes as Henry left the table and sulked off to his room muttering about things not being fair and the evil queen not having friends. "He'll grow out of it Regina. It's just a bratty phase. He doesn't mean it."
Regina sighed. She was used to Henry's outbursts and they didn't have a huge effect on her anymore. It hurt but she had other things to focus on at present. "I wonder where he gets that from."
Emma shot her a 'seriously' look. "Oh totally you! I mean come on! You cursed a whole bunch of people to a different land just cos' you couldn't get your own way!"
Regina realised Emma was teasing her but acted shocked. "Me? I was referring to the stomping off to sulk and muttering. I've witnessed you do that a number of times."
The blonde looked offended and Regina hadn't intended to take it to actual fighting so she shot her a grin and continued. "However, what does that say about you that you 'kinda like' the person who cursed a bunch of people just because she couldn't get her own way?"
Emma blushed. She hadn't meant it to be taken like that. Well she wasn't sure she had at least. "Oh I'm totally messed up! I admit it. I'm just a sucker for pain."
Regina didn't doubt that for a second. Emma wasn't like most people she'd ever come across. There was something there underneath the blonde canopy which was unexpected. A pain, an intelligence that came only from a hard life lived. She had to admit to herself that she had always been drawn to Emma. Sure it had started from a place of self preservation when the woman had first bounced onto her doorstep, but over the last year or so, she'd found herself not hating her.
"Stick your hand in the flame?"
Emma took another swig of wine. "See! Now I wouldn't have ever thought you'd heard that song. Call me."
"Miss Swan I Clearly haven't been living under a.. what?" Regina interrupted herself to ask.
"Call my cel phone now."
Regina reluctantly hit dial on her phone and raised an eyebrow when she heard Emma's obnoxious ring tone repeatedly sing 'I torture you.'
"Funny Sheriff. I don't see how showing me that would help your quest to befriend the evil queen in any way." She laughed internally thinking how fitting it was and how much of a coincidence that she also associated the song with the saviour.
"I think you like it."
"I think not."
"There you go lying again."
Regina folded her arms over her chest.
"So did you come here to fling insults at me or did I imagine your request for a drinking buddy?"
"We can do both. Kidding! I'm kidding. But II'l take a top up. This wine is really good."
Regina stopped pushing and poured out another two glasses of the red. "It is. So what do you normally drink?"
"Anything pretty much. Beer, wine, liquor. It depends what mood I'm in or who I'm with. How about you? I know you have that lethal cider and the wine but I bet you've never had anything as common as a beer."
"Don't presume to know anything about me Miss Swan."
"Oh heck, I didn't mean it like that. Don't get offended and clam up on me." Emma regretted everything about tonight. Everything in fact, since the fairy had granted her so called wish. It sucker being able to read someone's mind all the time and especially a complex woman's like Regina's.
"How can I clam up when I haven't even opened up to you in the first place? 'This was a terrible idea.' I think it's quite obvious we can't be alone in the same room together for more than a few seconds before we butt heads." 'Why do I have to be like this?'
"You tell me? One minute you're berating me for not trying to get to know you and the other you shut me down when I'm trying to do just that. What do you want me to do Regina?" Emma rubbed her forehead in exasperation.
"I think you should just go." 'Don't go.'
"Really? Try saying what you really want for a change."
"I really want you to leave. 'You'd run for the hills if I said what I really want.' I've had more than enough of the Sheriff for today."
Emma sat back down at the table and finished the wine in her glass, organizing her words before she said her next piece.
"I'm not leaving."
"I can make you."
"You could. That's true. But you won't."
"And why won't I do that?" Regina quirked and eyebrow and sat down in the chair closer to Emma, the one Henry had previously occupied.
"Because this," She gestured between them both and reached for the rest of the wine in the bottle and downed it for courage. "This is either... and I've seriously thought about it like, a lot so don't just dimiss me. There's only three reasons why you and I would keep getting under each others skin so much."
Regina rolled her eyes and bit back the smile threatening to betray her. 'Don't say it.' "And what would they be?"
"Stop interrupting me. This is really hard! You're really hard work Madam Mayor, you know that right?"
Regina smirked. "I never denied that" 'Now on with the reasons.'
"Urgh! Reason one. You hate me because of who my parents are and that I'm Henry's birth mother and your life would be better if I'd never shown up and broken your curse."
"Well I believe that's called stating the obvious, dear."
"Except you don't. Not really. I think you're over it and that brings me to possible reason two. No! Shush up!" Emma waved the bottle in front of Regina to stop her from interrupting with another false quip.
"Possible reason two is that you are too afraid of letting anyone get close to you because you don't want to get hurt so you play this game with me. Let me in a little then lock me out when you're scared we could actually become friends."
Regina didn't say anything now. Emma was quite accurate in her observations and it didn't warrant a response.
"I think we almost are friends and you want that as much as I do but you don't want other people to see you as weaker for it. And that leads me to reason three and I'm just gonna say it. I think maybe the friends thing is as start but uhm, damn it Regina! I think you might actually be attracted to me because I've been sensing this chemistry since the first time you opened the door to me and I know you've been with women before and... so yeah. There's that. Uhm, you say something now."
Regina pondered. "So which one is it?"
"Come on! Your move!"
"How you could ever think there was chemistry between us is beyond me. 'I'll never admit it.' I've never once given you a reason to believe that. 'I've been careful to be professional haven't I?'"
"Bull shit!"
"I think you've had enough wine dear. You're slurring your words and using profanity." She took the bottle from Emma's hand and poured herself another glass. She hadn't expected this confrontation at all.
"I'm gonna go but, in about five minutes.. exactly five minutes because I know you like punctuality, I'm gonna knock on your front door and you are gonna answer it and pretend like we never met before and I'm not the sheriff or saviour or snow white's daughter and you aren't who you are. No history. Nothing. Just two hot gay strangers meeting for a blind date."
Before Regina could protest the woman's ridiculous idea, the blonde had gone, slamming the door behind her and leaving the mayor to gather her thoughts. She was stunned into silence.
'There's absolutely no way I'm playing your little game Miss Swan! Too drunk and confused I'd say. When have I ever let my sexuality out of the bag? Who have you been talking to? Well one thing for certain is I won't be your little experiment. Just who does she think she is coming into my home and talking to me like that? I require proper courting dear, not a drunken declaration of how things are going to play out. There's no way on earth this is happening. Not a chance!'
The doorbell rang and she paced down the corridor with the intention of berating the woman for making much noise while Henry was sleeping.
"Hi! You must be Regina! Ruby was right. You are stunningly beautiful." She handed the blushing brunette a bunch of flowers she'd just randomly picked from Regina's front yard. "I'm Emma. Emma Swan." She held out her hand waiting for Regina to take it. Hesitantly, she did so and the blonde placed a gentle kiss on the back of it sending tingles up the Mayor's arm.
She bit her lip and felt something cracking open and run down her insides.
"It's a pleasure to meet you Emma. Thank you for the flowers. They are my favorite. How did you know?" 'Cheeky but charming nonetheless.'
"It's a gift. I guess you could say I can read minds."
Regina turned around and began walking back into the house leaving Emma stood wondering what her next move would be.
"Are you coming in Emma? I'm afraid I'm all out of wine but how about a glass of the best apple cider you ever tasted?" She turned around and smiled as she saw Emma scurrying down the corridor behind her. 'If we are doing this, we shall do it my way dear. The way it should have been.'
"Got anything stronger?" Emma grinned as she saw Regina step into her personal space.
"Trust me. This will have you on your back." She stepped closer and risked a gentle squeeze on the blonde's forearm, giving her time to back out if she still wanted. 'There's no going back from this. There will be consequences.'
"I can handle myself." Emma stepped closer still into the limited space between them and pressed her lips to Regina's, slowly, methodically, exploring, savoring.
*bang*
The women looked up to where they heard the bang and saw Henry standing on the stairs.
"Mom! Why are you kissing Ma?"
Regina bit her lip. "Actually Henry, I didn't. She kissed me." 'And it was heaven.'
She pushed away from Emma grinning and disappeared into the kitchen.
"Way to throw me under the bus Mad.. Regina."
A/N: Hey everyone. I am truly sorry I abandoned my fics for such a long time. As those who know me or follow my work know, I had a beautiful baby boy in May last year and have had very little time to take a shower let alone indulge in writing. I fully intend on continuing all my fics as and when my gorgeous (teething, grumpy, energetic) angel allows me time to do so. Swanqueen for life! Love to you all. Xxx