Regina stared at the ceiling again, although by then she already knew every little crack on the wood. She couldn't get herself to sleep, still a little uncomfortable in the apartment, and the night didn't seem to get to an end for her.
She closed her eyes and tried to imagine she was in her bedroom, but a sound behind the front door startled her. She quickly sat up, knowing that whatever was outside the apartment wasn't good, and waited to see if she had imagined, but then she heard it again. She felt the sparkles in her fingertips and decided to go out to see what it was, knowing she could defend herself in case it was necessary.
When she opened the door, she saw her old friend turning to face her, "Hello Regina."
"Maleficent," she said half-closing the door so they wouldn't be heard. "I see my theory is confirmed."
"I'm glad to see you too dear, although you've certainly lost your presence," she commented looking down at Regina's clothes. She was barefoot, so she didn't have the height advantage she used to have and the big pyjamas didn't help either. She crossed her arms and straightened her back, trying to gain presence.
"What are you doing here?"
"Oh I just wanted to catch up with you and meet your son as the friends we are. You know, I've missed so much of your life since I was turned into a dragon for 28 years."
"Cut the act, Maleficent. If you're trying to get revenge, know that I won't put it easy for you," Regina said stepping ahead.
Maleficent smirked and stepped forward as well, getting closer, "Since when are we using formalities, dear? I remember you liked to call me Mal, especially when you screamed my name on bed."
"Please, that was years ago. I reach for better now."
"Mmhm, so I've heard. You go with the good guys now and follow your dear savior wherever she goes." Regina pressed her lips into a thin line and Maleficent laughed, "You had hopes I wouldn't figure it out? Please, one only has to see the way you look at each other."
"You stay away from her and my son."
"Or what?" Maleficent challenged.
Regina looked directly into her eyes and whispered, the air blowing into the other woman's face, "Or I'll make you wish you didn't come back to life."
Maleficent's smirk fell slowly into place, her eyes flickering at Regina's lips, "I see there's still a bad girl inside you."
Regina rolled her eyes and stepped away, feeling the air growing thick around them, "I've changed."
Maleficent looked at her, considering it while giving her a glance over. Then she pouted and tsked, "Too bad. I was willing to give you a chance to join me but if you're on the other side, then you leave me no choice but to make you suffer."
"There is another choice. There's still time for you to redeem yourself," Regina tried, but Maleficent suddenly leaned in and her fingers graced Regina's cheek.
"But that isn't much fun," she whispered, winking at her. Then she separated and walked towards the stairs. "See you around Regina, and next time I won't be that good." She didn't wait to go down the stairs to disappear into a green smoke in front of Regina.
When she entered the apartment again and closed the door behind her, she found Emma standing in the middle of the room, "Emma?"
"Where were you? I thought you had disappeared," Emma whispered, aware of the late hour of the night. The only source of light was the light coming from the street, but it was enough for Regina to see the worry in the Sheriff's face.
"It's okay. I was talking to Maleficent."
Emma's eyes only grew wider, "What?"
"I heard a noise outside and I went to check what it was and I found her."
Stepping closer to Regina, Emma reached for her, "Are you okay? What did she want?"
They walked to the sofa and took a seat, Emma tucking a leg beneath her, and Regina frowned, "I think she tried to lure me back to her. She wanted me to join her."
"Lure you back to her?"
"Well, we had a thing back in our land." Regina watched how Emma's eyebrows shot up in surprise, so she explained, "She was my mentor for some time and things got heated between us."
"So she's your ex-girlfriend?" Emma half shouted, half whispered.
Regina tilted her head before shaking it, "We weren't girlfriends. She was my…first experience."
"So you first girlfriend."
"We weren't girlfriends," she repeated, but Emma didn't seem to hear her.
"And she tried to seduce you?" Regina could see the other woman's insecurities in her frown and she grabbed her hand, soothing her softly.
"That is in the past Emma, I promise you."
The Sheriff looked at her and smiled slightly, thanking her without actually using any words. "Okay, and did she say something about her plans?"
"Well, you came up in the conversation; she knows you're my girlfriend. She also mentioned Henry so I guess she did her homework and now more than ever you're her target."
Emma leaned back on the sofa and smiled knowingly, "I'm your girlfriend?"
Regina blushed and thanked the light was dim enough to hide it while she shrugged, "I don't know, I kind of assumed, you know…"
"Well, you haven't asked me so technically we're not officially girlfriends yet."
Regina raised an eyebrow, "Ask you? What are we? 10?"
Emma crossed her arms and shrugged, "I guess we're not girlfriends then."
"I can't believe I'm doing this," Regina whispered to herself before taking a deep breath. "Okay, Emma Swan, the Savior, the mother of my son and actual pain in my ass, will you be my girlfriend?"
"The world is missing a huge romantic with you," Emma teased, but Regina rolled her eyes and warned her.
"Emma."
Laughing, she leaned in until their lips were a breath away, "It will be my pleasure." Regina smiled and was about to kiss her when Emma leaned back a little, "Why Maleficent though? I mean, unless you're into dragons, which would be kinda fucked up if you think about it."
"Shut up and kiss me," Regina demanded, and Emma happily obliged, feeling the other woman's smile in the kiss.
"What do we do now?" Emma asked cuddling Regina, who sighed happily and leaned into her arms.
"Now we rest; I don't think she's coming for us tonight."
"I should go to my bed then," the Sheriff murmured, clearly not liking the idea, but Regina tugged her shirt to lay them down, cuddling.
"Stay a little longer."
Emma decided not to say anything else before the Mayor changed her mind and just enjoyed the embrace. Regina felt immediately how Emma's body relaxed behind her and her breathing slowed its pace, a sign that she had fallen asleep, and she closed her eyes telling herself it would only be a minute, just to get some rest.
Hours had passed when she heard some noise on the kitchen, and she quickly sat up and separated from Emma, who fell forward still asleep. Her heart was racing when she saw Henry grabbing the cereals from a cupboard; he was looking at her like if he had been caught in the middle of a robbery.
"Henry?" she asked still not fully awake.
"I wasn't getting cereals, I swear," he lied quickly jumping down the counter. Regina blinked at him and he sighed dramatically, "Okay I was but don't tell mom. She doesn't let me eat them in weekdays."
He tilted his head to look at Emma, who was sleeping soundly behind Regina. She followed his gaze and opened her eyes, "Henry this is not…"
"It's okay, I get nightmares too and Emma comes to sleep with me to calm me down," he nodded. Then he looked around nervously and whispered to his mother. "I won't tell if you don't tell."
Regina smiled at the innocence of her child; soon he would grow up and lose it all, but she calculated she still had a few months until that happened. She pressed one finger to her lips and nodded. Henry smiled relieved and went back to his bed, while Regina turned to wake Emma up.
"Emma, wake up. Soon the sun will rise," she whispered.
The Sheriff smiled to the pillows, "You sound like you're in the 20th century."
"You've been awake this whole time?"
Finally Emma sat up and brushed the messy golden locks off her face, "Henry usually wakes up early to sneak some cereals. I've developed a clock that wakes me up shortly before he does."
Regina smiled softly at how good Emma was at this, but tried to hide it raising her eyebrows, "And you still let him eat them?"
"If he wants cereals so bad he wakes up earlier than everyone only to get a handful of them, he can have it. But I'm not gonna let him know that." Emma smiled proudly as she stretched under Regina's gaze.
Emma kissed her quickly and stood up, "Try to get some more rest. Tomorrow it's going to be a long day and I don't think I would like a tired Regina spending any time with my parents."
"For once you're right," Regina joked.
Emma turned to show her tongue at her before disappearing behind the curtain that separated her bedroom from the living room. Regina laid back on the sofa and missed Emma's embrace, knowing she wouldn't get much sleep without her there, but still she closed her eyes, trying to forget about everything that was about to come.
A/N: my bad. this story still have some things to tell so I'm still here and I hope you're enjoying it.