Chapter 4:
"Ow! That hurt." Emma rubbed her wrist and looked at her mother with annoyed eyes.
"You were at Regina's just now?" Mary-Margaret asked, her tone and body language gave Emma no clues as to what was going through her mind.
"Yeah, we had, er, a lot of town business and stuff to sort out, Regina thought it'd be best if we discussed it over dinner rather than sit in a stuffy office for hours." Emma fidgeted as she spoke. She knew her excuse sounded like absolute bullshit, but she hoped her mom would buy it, after all, she had no reason to suspect anything else was going on. Right?
"So you've been there for a while?" Mary-Margaret asked.
"Er, yeah. I guess. An hour or two." Emma replied, her eyes glued to the floor.
"And you were just discussing town business?" Mary-Margaret continued her interrogation with a raised brow.
"Yeah." Emma pushed some hair behind her ear.
"And you had dinner."
"Yeah."
"Just the two of you? No-one else?"
"Yeah, it was just us two. Why so many questions?"
"No reason."
"So why did you bring me out here?"
"To ask you those questions. We can go back in now." Mary-Margaret put her hand on the doorknob. "You might want to rub that lipstick off your neck."
Emma's face turned bright red. Does she know? No, of course not. How could she? Regina and I didn't even know until tonight. Emma rubbed her neck hard, she thought she had gotten it all off in the car. The pair walked into the apartment as Regina and Henry walked downstairs.
"Emma, we're going now. Henry needs his bed." Regina said. Henry was very pale and he was still half-asleep, Regina was holding him upright.
"I told you he could just stay here, he needs rest, Regina." Mary-Margaret said as she took her mug of tea off of David.
"Why don't we just let him stay?" Emma asked as she went to assist Regina in holding up their son.
"He needs to be at home. He needs his own bed and he needs his mother. He's coming home with me." Regina said firmly.
"Okay, okay. Whatever you think is best for Henry." David said, silencing his wife, whom he knew was about to go off on a small rant.
"Fine. Get him home, let us know when he's feeling better." Mary-Margaret said as she held the door open.
"I will, I'll see you tomorrow. Bye, love you." Emma said as the three of them stepped out of the apartment.
"Goodbye, we love you too." David replied. Just as Regina, Emma, and Henry finally made it to the bottom of the stairs, Mary-Margaret appeared at the top of them.
"That's a lovely shade of lipstick Regina. What's it called?" Mary-Margaret called out, a smug grin on her face. Regina and Emma whipped their heads round to look at the woman. Emma looked horrified, she definitely knows, whereas Regina just looked confused, and a little angry.
"I don't really think this is the time, Miss Blanchard," Regina replied as she brought her attention back to her son. Emma continued to look up at her mother with her horrified expression. Mary-Margaret winked at her daughter then sipped her tea as she walked back to her apartment.
Emma sat in the back of Regina's car with Henry sprawled out and sleeping on her lap. Regina drove fast, but she was careful not to make the car move or jump too much. Emma pet Henry's hair as she tried to comprehend what just happened. Had my mom really just caught us out already? Should I tell Regina that she knows? Does she really know; it could just be a coincidence?
By the time they arrived back at Regina's Emma had decided not to tell Regina anything until she was sure whether or not Mary-Margaret knows. There's no point worrying her over nothing, she reasoned.
Emma carried Henry up to his bedroom and laid him on his bed. Regina then tucked him in and they both kissed his head and said goodnight before exiting his room. "Are you okay now?" Emma asked as she reached out and stroked Regina's forearm before taking her hand into her own.
"Yes. I'll be fine." Regina smiled at Emma.
"Why were you in such a state? He has thrown up before, right?" Emma asked.
"Yes, he has. I just… I'm his mother. I need to look after him." Regina said, her smile now gone without a trace. Emma took a small step closer and placed her other hand around Regina's back.
"But my parents would've taken care of him. He was in safe hands." Regina sighed at Emma's words and focused her eyes on the ground. Her mind was screaming at her to pull away from Emma and just excuse herself to her room. Luckily her heart and body won out and she relaxed into Emma's embrace instead. Regina rested her head on the taller woman's chest and listened to her steady heartbeat as she plucked up the courage, to be honest, and vulnerable with the blonde.
"Emma, I… I've never had this." Regina knew their son would be safe with the Charmings. Despite the whole sending off their new-born in a tree debacle, they were wonderful, caring parents and grandparents. "I've never had people that I could trust or people that would be willing, let alone happy, to help me. I've never had a proper family, other than my father everyone else in my life has had ulterior motives. They all wanted to use me to further their own selfish plans. It took a village to create the evil queen, so to speak. I know your parents aren't technically my family, but since neverland, I don't know, I guess I can feel their shift in attitude towards me. They are trying to include me, even if its just for Henry's sake. I know I should trust them with Henry, I know they love him almost as much as we do, but I need time to get used to the idea that other people can and will look after him." Regina's voice cracked, her eyes welling up and her throat constricting as she spoke. She hated thinking back to the evil queen and all she had done to get to this point.
"You are part of our family, Regina. I know you haven't had the easiest life, but now you have a family. You have me. As long as I'm around you will always be included. Not just for Henry's sake. For yours. I care about you so much Regina, and I will always be there for you. We all will. I lo-we love you." Emma was glad that Regina felt comfortable opening up to her. Although she could tell there is a lot more to her story than she had already expressed. They stood in silence for a moment, just holding each other. Digesting each other's words.
"I care about a lot for you too. I know I have people now. I'm trying to know. I'm trying to trust. I just need to do it at my own pace." Regina looked up at Emma before pressing her lips lightly on Emma's. "We should get some sleep."
"Yeah, we should. I'll come over first thing tomorrow to check on both of you." Emma said as she dropped her arms to her side.
"Why don't you just stay over again. If you want." Regina said.
"I'd love to." Emma said with a smile. Regina pecked Emma's lips again and grabbed her hand and walked her towards her bedroom. Neither of them had realised that Henry was not asleep yet, and he had just heard and seen their entire exchange. Regina pulled Emma into her room and gestured for her to sit on the bed. Then the brunette walked over to her drawers and started pulling things out. Emma sat playing with her fingers and fidgeting on the bed. She wasn't ready to spend the night with Regina, even in the most platonic sense, but she didn't know how to say that without giving Regina the impression that she was having second thoughts again.
Regina had a small pile of clothes on her arms as she walked over to the bed and sat smiling in front of Emma. Emma's heart began to race; how can I say no to that face? Emma was preoccupied with her own thoughts that she didn't see the smile fall from Regina's face. Regina had noticed how nervous Emma looked, but she couldn't work out why. She had stayed over the other night, she was very drunk, but she was fine then. Then it hit her. She thinks I'm going to make her stay in here, with me.
"Listen, Regina, I don't want you to take this the wrong way or-" Emma began.
"Emma, I think I know what you're going to say. You're staying in the guest room. I don't want Henry to come in during the night and have questions for us that we don't have answers too. Plus, I don't think I'm quite ready for that." A tidal wave of relief washed over Emma as Regina spoke.
"I totally agree, it's best if I don't stay in here," Emma said with a half-smile.
"I only bought you in here to get you some fresh pyjamas out," Regina said as she lifted the clothes and offered them to Emma.
"Er, thanks, but I didn't change the other night. If those are still in the guest room I may as well just throw them on." Emma said as she stood up from the bed.
"Very well, I suppose I'll wear these tonight then." Regina placed the clothes down on the bed then stood as well. She opened her bedroom door and said, "Shall we?" Emma exited the room first and they walked side by side down the hall to the guest room. Their hands brushed lightly against each other as they walked, neither woman brave enough to increase the contact. When they were outside the closed door to the guest room, Emma turned to face Regina.
"So… this is me I guess." Emma giggled as she spoke, she'd always wanted to use a cheesy line like that.
"Er, yes, it is. I'll be just down the hall if you need anything, but of course, you know that so… Goodnight, Emma." Regina had no idea what the blonde found so funny, but she loved the blonde's giggle. Emma realised that Regina didn't quite understand the joke she made, dating a storybook character may prove to be somewhat of a challenge. She found her mind wondering about all the differences between dating in fairy-tale land and the real world. "Emma?" Regina snapped the blonde out of her dazed state.
"Yeah, sorry. Goodnight Regina." Emma smiled at the brunette then leaned in to kiss her cheek. Regina closed her eyes, allowing herself to completely soak up the moment, as Emma's lips lingered against her cheek. Emma whispered into the brunette's ear, "Sweet dreams." Emma couldn't help but smirk as she pulled back and saw that Regina's eyes were closed and her lips parted slightly. The small gulp of air before the brunette opened her eyes didn't go unnoticed.
"You, too." Regina finally replied, she stood outside the door and watched as Emma walked inside. Emma left the door open as she walked over to the, still unmade, bed where she had left the pyjamas the night before. Regina stood in the doorway watching as Emma inspected the pyjamas and then began to undress. Emma could feel the dark brown eyes on her as she changed, she couldn't tell whether she really enjoyed it or if she was embarrassed. She wasn't the most body confident, but tonight, she wanted Regina to see it. Regina leaned against the door frame for support as she watched the teasing blonde slowly undress. Despite already seeing, and feeling, the blonde in just her underwear just the other night Regina was happy to be able to appreciate her body at a slower pace and while sober. She was in awe of what lay beneath her clothes, she always knew the blonde's body would be toned as she often wore tank tops that revealed her delicious arm muscles, but she was even more beautiful than Regina had imagined, or remembered. Emma stayed with her back to Regina the whole time, much to her dismay. When the blonde was down to just her black boy shorts and bra she hesitated as her fingers gripped her bra strap, she wasn't sure if she was taking her striptease a little too far but when she heard Regina's breath hitch, she couldn't stop herself. She loved knowing she had this kind of effect on the older woman. Emma threw her bra on top of the rest of her discarded clothing and decided to make quick work of redressing so she could turn and see the mayor's face. Regina didn't make a sound until Emma was doing up the last button on the silk shirt, she knew the show Emma just put on was for her benefit and she wanted to seize back some control.
"They fit nicely." Regina said as she walked right up behind Emma, placing her hands on the blonde's slim hips and stroking the silk-covered area with her thumbs.
"They do." Emma said simply, she knew that the brunette was going to try and get her back for her performance.
"I hope you'll be comfortable in them. You don't strike me as a person that usually sleeps in silk." Regina joked as rested her head on Emma's shoulder and she slipped her hands lower onto the blonde's thighs and continued her ministrations dangerously close to Emma's core.
"They're great, thanks." Emma smirked, as much as she was enjoying Regina's touch she also wanted to fight back. "You don't strike me as a person that leaves their guest room in such a state."
"I believe you were the one that left it in a state, Miss Swan." Regina raised an eyebrow at the woman's audacity, she forced her thigh between the blonde's and used her hands to grind the blonde's centre down. Emma let out a small moan, but she was determined not to lose this battle, so she begrudgingly pulled out of Regina's embrace and quickly turned around.
"I believe that this is your house, therefore you're responsible for the state it is in, Madame Mayor." Emma poked an accusing finger into the mayor's shoulder.
"Touché, Sherriff. To be quite honest I forgot you even stayed here, and as such, I forgot it would need cleaning." Regina took a step closer, trying to close the space between them but Emma countered with a step backward, the back of her knees met the bed and she knew she was cornered.
"Am I that easy to forget," Emma's voice was laced with her want, she placed her hand flat on the mayor's chest and leaned into her ear, "Madame Mayor?" Regina moaned lightly and turned her head to capture Emma's lips. She didn't bother with niceties and instantly plunged her tongue into the blonde, pulling her closer by the back of her neck. Emma quickly responded to the kiss, their teasing long forgotten in place of their new battle for dominance. Emma started pulling at the buttons on Regina's blouse, desperately wanting to feel her skin despite her previous reservations about moving too fast. Right now, all she wanted was Regina, all of her. The brunette had similar thoughts as her excitement grew when she felt the blonde clawing at her shirt. She mirrored her actions and began undoing the pyjama buttons, she managed to undo two before she remembered that Emma was bare beneath the shirt. She pulled away from the kiss and rested her forehead against Emma's, both women panting as their lungs desperately tried to regain oxygen. Their hands paused on their mission. "We should stop right?" Emma finally broke the silence as their breathing was evening out again.
"That would probably be for the best." Regina sighed, releasing the third button from her grip, Emma followed suit.
"Ugh. I hate being responsible." Emma threw herself back onto the bed and squeezed her eyes shut in annoyance.
"Me too." Regina stepped back, unsure if she should just leave right now to make it easier on them both. Her internal debate was stopped when Emma raised her head to look at the blonde.
"Do you think we can be trusted to lay together for a little while? Scouts honour I'll keep my hands to myself." Emma quickly raised two fingers in the air.
"I'm honestly not sure, but that sounds far too good to pass up." Both women grinned as they quickly got under the covers and found a comfortable position. Emma had an arm around Regina's shoulder, while her head rested on the blonde's chest. Emma lazily drew patterns with her fingers on Regina's arm. They remained
"Would it be bad timing to tell you now that this, us, is all I've thought about all day. Even after the meeting, all I could think about was the fact I would never see all of you again. That I'd never be able to touch you. Taste you."
"Momentously bad timing Emma." Regina chuckled, God she's hard work. She's my hard work, she then turned over and gave the blonde a chaste kiss. "You don't need to worry anymore. You've got me, Emma Swan. All of me." Emma gave one of her goofiest grins and wrapped her arms around the brunette tight. She could definitely get used to this. Emma loosened her grip slightly, but they remained in their positions.
"You've got me too Regina Mills." She then kissed the top of her head before leaning back. Thoughts of her future, with her new little family, consumed her. All she needed now was another 1.4 kids and she'd have the perfect American family, something she had never even thought possible for most of her life. She didn't even realise when her thoughts become her dreams.