A/N: Thank you AGAIN for following/favouriting/reviewing. I've been enjoying writing this fic a lot, probably because I didn't come up with the idea for it hahaha. I've been really busy lately and sort of using my down time (where normal humans would go outside and socialise) to sit in bed with my cat writing this. The next few weeks are probably my busiest of 2014/2015 though, so if I don't get the next chapter up in a week please don't hate me!
I aged Henry down for this fic, mainly for scenes like the one that comes up in this chapter. I eat stuff like that up when I read it, and I wanted to write it myself!
Anyway, hope you enjoy chapter 3!
Emma might actually have been more nervous than she'd ever been in her life. Regina had said they weren't dating, and that's fine, but what were they? What is this? Is this dinner between friends? Is this some kind of BDSM sex thing? In spite of Emma's knack to tell when people were telling the truth, she found it almost impossible to distinguish harmless flirtation from genuine sentiment. She'd played it safe and came dressed in formal-ish attire; tight black trousers and a silk shirt, with the classiest looking wine she found on the bargain shelf.
As she walked up the steps to Regina's door, she prayed this wouldn't be a repeat performance of the last time she was here. Just the thought made her want to turn on her heels and run. She powered through regardless, and reached to knock the door.
"Emma, right on time." Regina answered before the door was open fully. She had a pair of oven gloves on over her hands and a smile on her face Emma was sure she hadn't seen before.
"Hey. I know you said not to bring anything, but I bought wine anyway."
"Well in spite of you ignoring my instructions, I'll say thank you." Regina beckoned Emma inside. "I'd originally planned for us to go to the new French restaurant that's opened up a few streets away, but Henry's nanny is sick and so couldn't stay with him today."
"Oh, that's cool. Hopefully you won't poison me."
"I can assure you, there are no end to my talents. Cooking being one of them."
"I won't fight you on that."
Regina led Emma into the kitchen, monochrome and steel and sleek and somehow so Regina.
"So what are we having? It smells amazing." The scent of chillies and beef had been following Emma from the front door, and was only more intense in the kitchen.
"Burgers." Regina smiled smugly, awaiting Emma's reaction.
"Seriously? We are?" Emma reminded Regina of a puppy dog at times, enthusiastic at the mere mention of food.
"Don't think I haven't noticed you sneaking them to your desk at lunch. I wanted to make you something I knew you'd enjoy, and I had some beef in the freezer so I went with burgers. It was either these or a bowl of cereal, so…"
"Ah, you've noticed that?"
"It's absolutely disgusting. Not to mention disastrous that close to your work."
"I think you can let it slide, seeing as you've just admitted to watching me eat my lunch every day."
Emma noted the faintest pink tinge to Regina's cheeks. "Very well. I have to warn you, I allowed Henry to shape the meat, so it may be a little lopsided."
"I won't judge you too harshly for that." Emma smirked, "Henry's a cute kid. How old is he?"
"He'll be 7 in September."
"Sweet. Where is he?"
"He's in bed already. We went to the zoo for the day, he's exhausted."
"You went to the zoo? Without me?" Emma tried to sound offended.
"Oh I'm sorry dear, we'll be sure to take you next time." Regina smiled as she grabbed 2 glasses and began to pour from Emma's bottle of wine.
"Good."
"Did you ever think about having children?" Regina asks non-chalantly as she passed Emma her glass. When Emma didn't immediately answer, Regina regretted asking, "I'm sorry. A little early in the night to be asking a question such as that."
"No, no sorry. I was just thinking of what to answer. I mean, sure. I'd love kids. To adopt them, I mean."
"You wouldn't want a biological child?"
"No." Emma sat on a stool next to the counter where Regina had begun to cut potatoes. "I grew up in the system, I figure I wouldn't want to bring children into a world where there were already so many without homes or people to love them, you know?" Emma smiled a little to herself, and sighed. "But let's at least have appetizers before we get into talking about our childhoods."
"Good idea."
Conversation flowed easily between the two women as they ate their appetizers, and then their main courses. Emma pretended that Regina's burgers weren't a patch on her usual ones, but of course she was lying, and Regina could tell.
As the two began dessert, apple pie, conversation turned to work.
"So, what's it like being the editor-in-chief of the most successful fashion magazine in the country?" Emma asked with a raise of her eyebrow as she took a bite of pie.
"It's a gift. Truly. Don't misunderstand, dear, a lot of the time it can be as laborious and taxing as I'm sure you find it every time you glance at the magazine, but I believe the benefits to outweigh the costs. Since Henry's got a little older I've regretted not having as much time to spend with him as I could, though. I can't help but feel like he's missing out."
"Well, he's lucky to have a mother as good as you."
"The mother who misses his bedtime most nights? And palms him off on a nanny the rest of the time?"
"A mother who actually cares that she's doing those things, and doesn't just do them with no feelings about it. Take it from someone who grew up wishing for a mom who would care enough to feel guilty about missing spending time with me, he's lucky to have you."
Regina smiled shakily, her eyes squinted, and for a moment Emma thought she might cry. But just as quickly as it arrived, the moment was gone.
"Sorry. Anyway, other than that? Work is good?"
"Mostly. Obviously you get the occasional bad word said about you, but that's to be expected."
"Is it bad?"
"Honestly, I can't count with one hand the amount of times I hear myself referred to as 'bitch' in a day."
"And it doesn't bother you?"
Regina scoffed. "No, it doesn't. Not much. I suppose maybe a little when I started but… I love my job, Miss Swan. I've worked damn hard to get here, and I'm not going to let people undermine me or accuse me of being bad at it because I'm a woman, or young in comparison to most editors, or a mother. So I work. I work harder than I've ever worked at anything, and I'll keep that up until I don't need to anymore. And in the meantime," Regina half-shrugged, "I keep as I am."
"Do they say anything worse than bitch?"
"I've heard 'Evil Queen' be thrown around once or twice, but I like that. It makes me feel powerful." Regina smiled to herself.
Emma smiled sincerely back at her, "I really admire you, you know. I guess I probably come off a bit strong at times when I pay you compliments, I don't have much of a filter. But I do."
"Well, I appreciate it. Even I enjoy compliments from time to time."
"Mommy?" a voice called from the edge of the room, and both women turned towards it. Henry was stood in the doorway, a teddy bear in one hand and the other rubbing at his eye.
"Mom and Emma are having dinner Henry, you should be in bed!"
"Couldn't sleep."
"Well that's no good! Did you try really hard?" Emma had no experience with kids, and really hoped she wasn't condescending him.
"Yep, I counted sheep and everything! You forgot to read me a story, mommy."
"Oh darling, I'm sorry. Do you think you could last without?"
"No!" Henry stomped his foot in what he probably thought was an intimidating way. "Can't Emma read to me?"
"I'm sure Emma doesn't want to do that…"
"Well, you know, I could. But you have to do something for me too."
"Sure! Anything!" Henry beamed up at her.
"You have to promise you'll go to sleep straight away after."
"Ok!" with that, Henry hopped away from them and back up the stairs, Emma and a bemused Regina trailing behind him.
Regina had insisted that Henry pick the smallest book from his shelf for Emma to read, but Emma had given Regina a look and instructed Henry to pick his favourite, regardless of length. After much deliberation, he pointed to a large, oak-coloured book that looked about as old as the antique bookshelf holding it.
"That one!"
"Really?" Emma looked sceptical when she lifted the book and felt its weight. The front cover read 'Once Upon A Time' in gold lettering.
"Yeah! Start it from the beginning." Henry jumped up onto his bed, moved over to the far side of it and patted the mattress next to him. Emma looked to Regina for confirmation before she herself got on the bed.
"Mommy, you too!" Henry called out to Regina, who was hovering in the doorway.
"No darling, it's much too small for the three of us. I'll stand here."
Emma settled the book between hers and Henry's laps, as the boy buried his head down into the crook of her elbow. Emma smiled briefly at this before turning the first page.
"Once upon a time.."
While Emma and Regina had both been hoping Henry would fall asleep almost immediately, they were 3 chapters in to the book before Emma felt Henry's breath shallowing and looked down to see his eyes flutter closed. Emma stopped reading mid-sentence, and when there was no objections, she closed the book on her lap.
"I thought he was perhaps getting a little old for fairytales." A voice muttered from the other side of the room.
"You can never be too old for fairytales." Emma turned to look at Regina for the first time since she'd began to read. The brunette was still next to the doorway, but her back was against the wall and she'd slouched down so her knees were bent.
"Thank you for that. I don't normally make my guests earn their meal."
"I enjoyed it, to be honest. I used to have a book like this when I was younger."
"Well, I'm glad. Henry doesn't usually take to strangers, but clearly you're the exception to the rule."
A smile. "Good."
Once back downstairs, Regina poured herself and Emma each a glass of cider, with them moving to sit in the brunette's office. Emma had sat at one end of a leather sofa, and surprisingly to the blonde, Regina sat next to her.
"So… what does a woman like you do for fun?" Emma asked after a few seconds of deliberation.
"'A woman like me'? And what exactly do you mean by that?" Regina raised an eyebrow in accusation as she lifted her glass to her lips.
"Just that me and you probably have very different tastes in what we do with our free time. Like, Ruby and I went to a karaoke bar twice last week. And that really doesn't seem like your scene."
"You'd be correct."
"And so I was wondering what your scene is." Emma shrugged, a smirk on her lips.
"Free time is not something I have very often. When I do, I like to read. Or cook."
"Wow, that's a party lifestyle right there."
"Indeed. Who knows, maybe you could be a bad influence on me."
"That's the intention." Emma smiled into her glass, and shifted in her chair, "Did you and Robin never go out as a couple? I mean, except for benefits and anything work-related."
"Do you make it a habit of bringing up ex-partners when you're on a date, Emma?"
"Only when I dislike them." Emma shrugged again, and Regina laughed, but the sound was heavy and burdening.
"You don't even know him. How could you possibly have made that judgement from so few interactions?"
"I've seen enough, Regina. Believe me. He is… well, not my kind of person."
"I wouldn't have thought I was your kind of person either."
"I guess even I can surprise at times."
Regina laughed again, lighter this time, and leaned back into the sofa. Emma's arm, which was resting along the top of the sofa back, was a twitch away from Regina's hair. A few moments of silence passed, until Regina tilted her head to face Emma.
"Thank you for coming tonight. I had a nice time."
"Good." Emma smiled, and leaned moved a little further towards Regina. "Want to do it again sometime?"
"Are you asking me on a date, Miss Swan?"
"I guess so. I didn't actually know this was a date until a few minutes ago. I mean I hoped, but…" Emma shook her head and smiled.
"I'm not entirely sure I did either, to be honest with you. I know I said yesterday that I wanted to give myself some time before entering into anything new. And I still mean that, but I really would enjoy to spend more time with you."
"Well, the feeling's mutual. Can I…" Emma trailed off, as Regina drew her eyes towards her lips. Her eyelids fluttered momentarily, and Emma felt her own breath hitch.
"Yes. Once." Regina whispered, and Emma snorted.
"Once? Are you seriously giving me a limit?"
"Once. Take it or leave it."
"I can't believe that!"
"We've actually kissed before, in case you'd forgotten."
"C'mon, that didn't count! It was barely a peck! And I was blindsided!"
"You were playing my lover, dear. A peck on the lips is par for the course."
"I'm just saying," Emma's voice raised a little and she moved in further to Regina. "It wasn't a great first impression from me, kissing-wise! You can't just go round kissing people without warning them!"
Regina spluttered. "So you're saying I have to warn you before I kiss you? You'll be lucky I ever do again at this rate."
"Well ok, you don't have to warn me. But at least…"
Emma was cut off as Regina moved to close the gap between them. A single kiss, passionate and hard but close-mouthed, was enough to take the words from Emma's head. It only lasted a few seconds, but when Regina pulled away, Emma spent a few moments trying to collect her thoughts.
"You.. you did that to shut me up, didn't you."
"Perhaps." Regina smiled half-seductively.
Emma looked at her for a moment, her eyes glinting. With a split-second of thought, she copied Regina's movements and placed a kiss on her lips. This one was shorter still, sweeter and light and pretty much the last thing you would expect to come from the lips of Emma Swan.
"Two can play that game. Goodnight, Regina." Emma whispered, still hovering over her face, and got up from the sofa.
"I… shall see you on Monday." Regina responded, her face confused with a furrow in her brow.
"You most certainly will." Emma called out from the hallway as the front door opened and closed.
A/N: Know what makes me happy? Reviews. Know who can write them? You guys.