Henry woke up with a yawn, jumped out of bed and ran to his window. It had started snowing big fluffy flakes the night before and Storybrooke had transformed into the perfect picture of a winter wonderland. With excitement Henry noted the depth and texture of the snow: perfect for snow balls and snowmen.
"Henry, breakfast is ready!" Regina yelled from downstairs. Henry was already layering up in thermal underwear and thick socks, knowing that he had to be well bundled in order for Regina to agree on letting him spend the day in the yard playing. It wasn't often that the weather conditions in Maine were just right for this type of snow and he planned to take advantage.
He finished dressing in his final layer and raced downstairs to scarf his omelet and toast.
"Slow down," Regina reprimanded. "School is cancelled, you don't have to rush."
"Awesome! Mom, want to hear a joke?" Henry asked with jubilant glee. He didn't wait for a reply. "Why was the snow man excited?"
"Why?" Regina responded with casual anticipation.
"Cause he heard the snow blower was coming!" Henry shouted the punchline and Regina scowled.
"Where did you hear that…joke?" She asked, paling at the implication that the snow man was excited to get receive oral sex.
Henry colored in embarrassment, "Um, school…" he mumbled, before pushing back his dining room chair with a squeak and grabbing his coat, hat, boots and gloves from the closet. "I'm going to start building a snowman right now!"
When Regina heard the door slam, she immediately picked up her phone, hit the speed dial and called Emma, when she confirmed that the other woman had answer she started to talk, forgoing their usual pleasantries. "You won't believe the joke our son recited to me. Come over here now….and bring a shovel."
Regina punched end, without waiting for a response. She went to fetch her stylish outerwear and join Henry to help build the perfect snowman.
They were just rolling up the biggest ball of snow to make the base when Emma cruised up in her bug. She grabbed the shovel from the backseat and flung it over her shoulder.
"Emma, are you here to help with the snow man?"
"Sure, kid," Emma looked to Regina for confirmation.
"No, Emma is here to clear a path up the walk," Regina stood up and smirked placing her hands on her hips and arching an eyebrow.
"That's why you asked me to bring the shovel?" Emma rolled her eyes and threw the shovel off her shoulder, planting it in the snow to lean on. "You know, after getting early onset hypothermia in a magical ice cave last year, I'm not really too crazy about snow and being outside in the cold."
Henry looked between his parents as they shot loaded looks at one another.
"Well, Ms. Swan if you do your duty to my standard, I promise to spend all afternoon warming you up." Regina's hot breath curled through the cold air as she spoke suggestively.
Emma's pink tongue slid out and swiped her bottom lip reflexively. Regina watched her mouth closely as her own lips parted slightly.
"Eww, and you thought my joke was gross," Henry shook his head and turned back to the task at hand: making a snow man.
Regina winked at Emma and gave her one of her patented genuine smiles before turning away and helping Henry with the ball for the snowman's middle section.
When she next turned around to check on Emma, the Sheriff was shoveling faster than a snow blower could blow and almost had the sidewalk completely cleared in a matter of minutes. Her teeth were gritted and she was mechanically scooping and throwing the snow over her shoulder at an impressive rate that would give a person who wasn't in shape a coronary.
"She must really hate the cold," Regina mused to Henry as they both took a moment to watch.
"No, I think she really wants you to warm her up, Mom," Henry deadpanned and then cringed at the implication.
"I meant that I was going to make her some cocoa," Regina sighed in defensive exasperation as she pulled a carrot and some buttons from her pocket to use as the snowman's facial features.
"That's not what it sounded like…" Henry muttered, as he kept busy rolling up the snow man's head.
After a few more minutes: the sidewalk and driveway were devoid of all snow and the snowman, Henry named Merlin, was complete with twig arms and a special twig magic wand. He put the finishing touch on by threading his red and grey scarf artfully around Merlin's neck.
Emma joined Regina and Henry as all three stood back to admire a snow job well done.
"I'm cold," Emma purposely quivered her bottom lip and Regina took the bait.
"Well, then, why don't we all go inside and I'll make you both some hot cocoa. And not that prepackaged powder mix Granny pawns off on you. I'm going to slowly melt real chocolate into a hot, sweet liquid that practically slides down your throat."
"Oh my God, Mom!"
"What did I say?" Regina tore her gaze away from Emma and blinked in confusion at Henry's apparent annoyed outrage.
"Listen to yourself," he admonished Regina, and gave Emma a pitying look as he skipped towards the door. "I'm going upstairs, bring my cocoa up and sat it outside my bedroom."
"Spoiled brat," Emma chastised. Then Henry was gone and Regina and Emma were alone in the cold. An awkward silence fell over the pair until Regina spoke up.
"Let's get you inside, dear. We can't have you freezing. After we make the cocoa, I'll start a fire in my study and we can sit on my bear skin rug in front of it."
"Okay," Emma nodded dumbly. "A bunch of snow fell down my shirt, I'm really wet."
They walked into the house and Emma took off her coat. Sure enough her shirt was covered in a wet patch and melting snow was stuck to her jeans.
"I feel a bit wet too," Regina agreed as she slipped off her gloves. "On second thought, let's make getting out of these wet clothes and near the toasty fire our first priority. The cocoa can wait for a bit."
Three hours later… and Henry was still waiting for his cocoa. He lumbered down to the kitchen to find it empty and no melted hot chocolate in the vicinity. Emma's boots and coat were still sitting by the door.
His investigation into the whereabouts of his missing cocoa let him to the closed door of his mom's study. Finding it odd that the door was closed, he didn't dare open it, but decided to listen for a moment. He put his ear up and could hear the crackle of the fire, amicable laughter, and then he shuddered and started backwards.
He muffled his scream of innocence lost with the back of his hand when he heard what was positively and unmistakably a deep pleasurable moan emanating from behind the door.