"Here," Emma casually sat down next to Regina on the bleachers and handed her a Styrofoam cup filled with liquid. "It's going to get really cold fast when halftime is over."
"For me?" Regina eyed the cup with mild suspicion, but took it anyway. "I don't like cocoa."
"Good, cause the cocoa is for me," Emma clasped her hands around her own steaming cup and blew on it to cool it down.
Regina sniffed hers and then took a small sip, "Hot cider?"
"See? It will keep you warm for the game," Emma smiled at Regina's approval, and they sipped their drinks in silence and watched the marching band leave the field after their performance.
"Thank you, Emma. That was very thoughtful of you….for once," Regina tried to hide her sly smile as she pushed the cup up to her lips and took another swallow. She didn't even flinch when Emma playfully knocked her shoulder.
"Hey, that means you definitely owe me one now," Emma said in reference to the fact that she had stepped up her parenting duties and taken Henry shopping for his first athletic cup and jock strap. She still wasn't over the horrendous awkwardness of discussing the need for the correct size cup to protect Henry's royal jewels with the sales guy.
Regina had gotten a free pass on that teenage milestone, but Emma was the one who would have the last laugh.
She had come prepared for Henry's football game on the cold October evening. During the day, it had been warm and pleasant, but as the sun rapidly went down so did the temperature. Emma had a lap blanket, mittens, her beanie, and her oversized parka on. Plus, since she was a layers kind of women: a tank top, a long sleeve shirt and a Storybrooke 'Knights' sweatshirt which all kept her toasty as a marshmallow and radiating heat like a campfire. Add on some exciting high school football and a sweet, hot chocolaty beverage and she was good to go.
Emma felt guilty when she saw Regina's breath curl into the air and vaporize. Her nose and hands were slightly red from the chill in the air. She was even shivering lightly. Usually, people would call the Mayor's demeanor frosty, but Emma couldn't help but notice the thin fitted purple school themed t-shirt from the Booster's club that Regina wore offered no warmth from the cold and the increasingly gusty wind.
Her eyes wandered from the V-neck cut to the cling of the form fitting cotton which displayed Henry's jersey number on the back. Emma mused that it was certainly nice to see Regina dressed so casually in support of the team, but the woman had not planned for the weather. Emma wasn't going to gloat, she told herself.
"Emma, why is Henry talking to that cheerleader?" Regina was craning her neck and staring daggers at Paige, who did indeed look a bit overly friendly and handsy with Henry as they flirted on the sidelines just before the third quarter commenced.
"Be happy that girls are actually talking to him, it's a perk of being the quarterback," Emma tried to reassure Regina as much as she tried to reassure herself of Henry's everlasting innocence.
They were both staring and Henry glanced up and noticed with a frown. They responded by grinning and waving to embarrass him in tandem. They both looked at one another after Henry shook his head and put on his helmet and chuckled. Embarrassing the kid so easily was the perk of being his mom.
Having the overly protective former Evil Queen in the stands with her eyes trained on her one and only son for the duration of each game proved to be a spectacular advantage for Henry. The defense protected him vigilantly and other players were afraid to touch him, due to Regina's frightening reputation. This meant Henry never got sacked, and he had all the time in the world to find a pocket or throw a pass.
By the time, the third quarter was counting down, the hot drinks were gone, and Regina was shivering harder and rubbing her hands together anxiously. Emma was practically sweating under her mountain of outerwear.
"Hey, want to share my blanket?" Emma scooted along the bench bringing her butt up against Regina's. The blanket was small, but if they huddled they could drape it over their laps. Regina looked at it like she was starving and then stiffened, "I'm fine."
"You're not fine, you're freezing," Emma insisted, taking Regina's freezing hands between her fluffy mittens. She lowered her face and blew hot air over the numb digits as Regina grimaced and shifted away in discomfort. Emma whipped her beanie off and tried to hand it Regina. She shook her head in refusal so Emma plopped it onto her head while Regina sat motionless. Once she got the front pulled down nearly to Regina's eyebrows and the sides were covering her ears, she couldn't help but sit back and admire her handiwork. Regina looked stiff and grumpy, with the hat on, but she didn't remove it.
"People are looking at us," she whispered conspiratorially. "I think I may head out early. I do believe our team will win so there's no need-."
That's when Emma knew Regina must be borderline hypothermic because she had never left Henry's games early. Hell, on some of the losses she stormed the field and petitioned the hapless referees for overtime. If the other team noticed that Queenie had vacated the stands, Henry was gonna get creamed.
"You're not going anywhere," Emma insisted and on impulse unzipped her parka and pulled one arm out, she wrapped the coat around Regina's tense shoulders drawing her against her body and as close as possible. Emma watched as Regina bit her lip to stop from admonishing her and calling undesired attention to their cozy little situation.
With the brunette pushed so close against her, Emma could feel her icy skin and the desire to make Regina warm overclouded any proud protests anyway. "Come on, you've got to at least stop shivering," Emma whispered as she draped the blanket over Regina's lap.
Regina huffed for another minute about the proximity, but then Emma felt her start to warm and relax. She was pleasantly surprised when Regina slid her arm around Emma's waist and held her. Emma started to feel a new heat creeping up her chest and radiating out between her legs when Regina pulled the coat tighter and turn slightly to nuzzle her face against Emma's neck.
Then she made a soft sound of relief and contentment that vibrated against her and sent her jangly nerve endings on warp speed. Regina's hair smelled floral and the air smelled of crisp fall and fresh popped popcorn.
"This is much better," Regina practically moaned next to Emma's ear.
Henry may have won the game, but Emma felt like a champ.
They sat through the whole 4th quarter cuddled up and soaking up one another's heat greedily. If Emma hadn't been so turned on she would have fallen asleep in a euphoric haze. The game ended all too soon, and when Regina dragged herself reluctantly off of Emma the cold seemed to cut deeper than ever.
When Henry came out of the locker room Emma walked with him over to Regina's car and took his duffle bag and pads to put away in the tiny backseat.
Her jaw dropped in realization when she saw something very interesting: a blanket, a coat, gloves, scarf, and a hat were all right there in a tidy pile on the passenger's seat.