I am sooooooo sorry I didn't write this in time for Valentine's Day! I was preoccupied with The Arcana and all the drama that happened in that fandom and then a butt load of writer's block. And then more Arcana stuff. I got very sidetracked for a looooooong time!
Tiana's Place was beautiful. The intricate ironwork, the flower lights, the jazz music playing from the stage... it was like a piece of New Orleans dropped right there in Storybrooke. Opening day was strategically on the day of Mardi Gras and the place was packed. Roni tended the bar, automatically pouring drinks as she thought about her conundrum. Tomorrow was Valentine's Day. She had to work that evening, as the entire week was booked with reservations. It seemed the entire town wanted a taste of Tiana's hometown cooking.
"How are you doing, Roni?" Tiana asked.
"Good. Not going to lie, it's a lot better looking than my old bar." Roni answered. It was true. The bar itself was made of polished wood and blue glass with lily pads pressed under the glass, making it seem like a little river. The lighting above them was made of different brightly-colored bottles filled with fairy lights and hanging from the ceiling. Shelves made of yellow, purple, and green glass covered the wall behind her, filled with all sorts of bottles of alcohol. Even Roni's uniform was tasteful - a white button-up with the sleeves rolled up, a green vest with gold buttons, and black slacks.
"Thank you, Roni. Without your help, it wouldn't have been half as beautiful if I was on my own. I owe it to you and Emma for helping from the beginning." Tiana said.
"It was nothing." Roni replied. She looked out towards the patrons dining. Over at a table near the stage, she spotted the Charmings. Henry smiled and waved at her. She smiled and waved back. Henry got up from his seat and ran over to her.
"Hi, Mom. You should try the gumbo. It's so good!" Henry sat at an empty stool at the end of the bar. "I wish you didn't have to work. You should be eating with us."
"I wish I could sit with you, too, but someone has to tend the bar and I signed up for this job." Roni answered.
"Still. I like when we have dinner together." Henry said.
"Just be glad my hours are better here than they were back in Seattle. I wouldn't get off work until 2 in the morning."
"Really? Why?" Henry asked.
"People like to drink late into the night." Roni explained. "Go on and sit with your family."
"They're your family, too." Henry said sadly before hopping off the stool. Tonight felt her heart swell a little, knowing Henry wanted her there with them.
Roni came home Valentine's Day exhausted and a little disappointed. She wanted to have been able to be with Emma. Their blossoming relationship was something she wanted to explore, yet her life just kept getting in the way. Roni was walking up the stairs when she noticed rose petals sprinkled on the steps. Hoping it wasn't some leftover Charming Valentine's Day thing, Roni walked to the attic apartment. The petals continued up to the apartment where Roni found Emma waiting for her. There was a bouquet of roses on the counter of the kitchenette and some food warming in the oven.
"Emma?" Emma smiled at her.
"I know you had to work, but that doesn't mean we can't have a romantic dinner together." Emma took the plates from the oven and set them on the coffee table. Roni changed out of her work uniform, then sat beside Emma as they talked about their day and ate the leftover dinner. Emma showed her the Valentine's Day cards Neal made them and the cards from Henry. After dessert, Emma put Roni's feet up into her lap and massaged them. Roni melted under Emma's fingers, letting the stress of the day leave her.
Emma's fingers moved from her feet up to her calves. The noises coming from Roni's mouth sent shivers down Emma's spine. When Emma finished with one leg, she pecked a kiss to Roni's knee before starting on the other. When the second leg was done, that knee got a kiss as well.
"Want me to do your back?" Emma asked.
"Yes, please." Roni answered.
"Then let's move to the bedroom. If you fall asleep, you deserve to sleep in a bed, rather than the couch." Emma said.
"That confident in your massaging abilities?" Roni teased, but made her way to Emma's room anyway. She laid down on her stomach, waiting for the rest of her massage. Emma sat on her knees, one on either side of Roni's hips and kneaded the tense muscles in Roni's back. Roni moaned, a sound that hit Emma straight in her lady parts. Emma grimaced at the fact that she just called them lady parts. She was spending too much time with her mother...
No! Do NOT think of your mother while massaging Roni! Emma shook the thoughts from her head and continued the massage.
"Where did you learn how to do this?" Roni asked in a tired voice.
"Well, when you're stuck in jail for eleven months, you learn a few trades. Plus, it helped ease some pain when I was pregnant with Henry." Emma replied. "Getting sleepy, yet?"
"No." Yes. Emma smiled and finished off her massage. She pulled back the covers and let Roni get comfortable. By the time Emma turned off the light and got comfortable under the blankets, Roni was already fast asleep. Emma smiled. I knew it.
"How does that thing work?" Roni sat with Neal as they watched Henry play with his new video game console. Pokemon sure has evolved since Henry was 10.
"It's easy, even Neal can do it. Want to show her how it's done, buddy?" Henry handed the control to Neal. With a little reminder from Henry, Neal successfully caught his first pokemon.
"Now what do you want to name it?" Henry asked. Neal thought for a moment.
"Shoe!" And so, the Caterpie named Shoe was added to the party. The character ran around the world a while before Roni pointed out one of the creatures hiding in the grass.
"What's that one?" she asked.
"Oh! It's a shiny!"
"Is that good?" Roni asked
"Yeah! Shiny Pokemon are rare." Henry handed her the controller. "Try catching it."
"I don't want to ruin your chances of catching it. You do it." Roni said.
"It's fine. Just try." Henry talked her through catching the creature. It took three berries and just as many pokeball throws, but Roni successfully caught it.
"You caught it, what do you want to name it?" Henry asked.
"Sock." Henry laughed.
"Why are you guys naming them after clothing?" he asked.
"Shoe needs a friend!" Roni answered. Henry shook his head and added the shiny bulbasaur named Sock to the party.