A/N: a friend requested an illustration based on the scene below after reading it. This can be found on my Instagram which is spookshowillustrations :)
Waving goodbye to Henry as the boy makes his way up the path to Archie's office, the Mayor turns around to survey the street pensively. Her dark eyes flicker towards the diner, but she looks away swiftly when Ruby slips outside to clear tables. Glancing up at the clock tower, she muses that eleven in the morning is probably enough time for the Sheriff to have gotten herself up and out of bed despite it being a Saturday, and she sets off in the direction of her apartment, anxious to know what became of Gold's visit.
Entering Emma's apartment building, she makes her way up the stairs, wondering if Mary Margaret might be around, but guessing the schoolteacher will probably be out with her own love interest.
Let's not use that term again...
Raising her hand to knock on the door, her breath catches in her throat as she notes several large chunks gouged out of the wood around the handle. Leaning closer to inspect the damage, she realises the door isn't completely shut at all; its lock hanging at an angle. Eyes flashing with a sense of unease, she knocks loudly anyway, hoping she's just missing something blindingly obvious about the situation.
"Miss Swan?"
No response. Trying the door again, she beats her knuckles against the flaking paint with a little more force, causing the door to creak open of its own accord. Swallowing, she steps across the threshold, scanning the room anxiously before letting out a sharp gasp as she spies the blonde lying sprawled out on the sofa. Hurrying over, she barks her name urgently but garners no reaction. Leaning over the Sheriff, she shakes her by the shoulder, letting out a shriek when the latter jerks with a start and scrambles back in a flurry of flailing limbs; her hand making sharp contact with the Mayor's cheek.
"Ouch!"
"R-Regina? What the hell are you doing?!"
Emma demands breathlessly, yanking her earphones out and regarding the older woman warily as she strives to regain a regular heartbeat.
"Me? What on earth are you doing?! What happened to your door? And turn down your music, you'll go deaf!"
Anger camouflages the darker woman's previous trepidation and she stands with her hands on her hips glaring down at the blonde irritably.
"My door?... Oh! Yeah... About that... I kind of locked myself out after going for breakfast with Mary Margaret. I tried calling her for the keys but I think she's in the woods, and-"
"-You did that!?"
Regina points over to the door incredulously and the Sheriff nods with an uneasy shrug.
"It's just the lock that's busted. I'll replace it later... Why are you so pissed?"
"I'm not, I'm just astounded by your stupidity!"
The brunette sniffs, but she takes a seat beside the blonde and offers her an amiable smirk as the younger woman moves around to face her with a sigh.
"It's fine, Regina. And anyway, I'm the Sheriff. No one's going to break in here."
"Yes, because you really instil that much fear in people, dear."
"They have no idea what I'm capable of..."
Emma warns.
"Is that so?"
Scarlet lips twitch with amusement and the brunette flicks her hair back coyly.
"What did you want, anyway?"
The blonde grins as she gives up trying to sound menacing.
"I was wondering how your little visit went last night."
"Oh... Well, it was fun..."
Emma replies tersely, not entirely comfortable with the fact that the darker woman should think it her place to waltz into her apartment to more or less check up on her for time spent with other people. She raises a brow curiously when the brunette proceeds to greet this statement with a frown.
"Fun?"
"Yeah... I mean what do you want me to say, Regina? We drank wine, we ate food, and we watched a movie. I like all of those things, so-"
"-That's not exactly the visit I was referring to, dear."
"Oh... Then, what?"
"Gold didn't come up to talk to you?"
"No. Why would he?"
"When I left, he-... Never mind."
"...Okay?"
"It's probably nothing... I'm glad you had fun with the others."
Regina offers a small smile and the Sheriff beams at her, pushing herself up and padding to the fridge.
"Juice? It's freshly squeezed."
"Please."
The brunette nods as she sits back and watches the younger woman fetch a large jug thick with chilly condensation from the fridge. As the blonde turns to replace the jug, she pauses for a moment, her attention lowered to the calendar that hangs up on the fridge as a way for the two women living in the apartment to have a vague idea of whether to expect the other home. The Mayor raises an eyebrow when Emma remains seemingly transfixed and clears her throat. Returning her attention to her guest, the blonde shakes her long curls abruptly and pads over with twin glasses of juice in her hands.
"Something wrong?"
Regina nods towards the calendar, and she frowns when the Sheriff simply lowers her gaze.
"Emma?"
She probes in a gentler tone.
"No... It's just... Can I ask what you're planning next week?"
"Next week?"
"Henry's birthday."
"Henry's birthday isn't next-... Oh."
The brunette sighs awkwardly and sips at her juice.
"We celebrate Henry's birthday on the 28th. It's when I was blessed with him."
"Oh."
"It seemed like the most logical date."
"Yeah, no, I get it.
"Usually, he and I will go out for a meal."
"Cool."
"It's tradition."
"Yeah."
Regina watches neutrally as the blonde looks away uncomfortably. Clearing her throat, she raises a brow when Emma turns to look up at her hopefully.
"Do you think maybe-"
"-You can't come... It will look suspicious and, you just-... I-"
"-You don't want me to."
"No."
The brunette agrees; hating this. Hating that despite her feelings for the younger woman, there's the subject of Henry that exists between them, and she just can't quite allow it to be resolved. Nevertheless, she doesn't think she can stand the look that currently graces the Sheriff's face for much longer.
"Miss Swan, seeing as I am more than aware that Henry pays you visits all the damn time when he's not supposed to, I suppose if he were to do so on the 9th... Well..."
"That would be okay with you?"
"No... But I'll allow it."
Pushing herself up, Emma offers the Mayor a weighted look before moving to slip onto her lap; straddling slim thighs slowly. Brushing her fingers gently through dark waves, she places a delicate kiss on scarlet lips before leaning forward and wrapping her arms around the darker woman's shoulders.
"Thank you."
She murmurs.
"You're welcome."
"Does-... Does Henry even know that that's his birthday?"
"...No. He's never actually asked."
"Oh."
"I suppose he'll know once you tell him."
"I don't have to..."
The blonde sits back, and the Mayor is slightly alarmed to see that her cheeks glisten with tear tracks. Rubbing them away self-consciously, Emma shrugs and offers a small smile.
"I just want to spend time with him on that day... I don't need him to know why if you don't want."
"Miss Swan... Emma... You can tell him whatever you wish to tell him as to why he's there. Just don't spoil him with gifts. Don't... I don't know..."
"I don't even know what to get him..."
"Dear, I'm understanding, but that's taking it a little too far. I'm not helping you pick out a gift."
"I didn't mean-... I wasn't-"
"-But, I suppose it does me no harm to tell you that Henry is rather partial to homemade chocolate cake. I fear I am not so adept at baking this to his liking... I would think the amount of sugar and junk you might inevitably put into your cooking will be much more to his taste."
She grins in spite of herself as soft lips press against her own, playing messy curls gently through her hands. Pulling Emma flush, she wraps her arms around the younger woman's waist and keeps her there, even when salted tears taint sweet lips bitterly.
I can't believe I'm allowing this...
"Thank you."
The younger woman repeats in an unsteady voice.
"Stop saying that. I'll change my mind."
Regina warns, but she chuckles as she feels the Sheriff tense in her lap and pushes the younger woman suddenly off of her to fall back onto the sofa. Repositioning herself to lie atop the blonde, she smirks at the way Emma sniffs irritably, trying to hide her emotions now that her face has come back into view.
"Thank you..."
The younger woman repeats boldly, her tongue darting mischievously between her teeth, and the Mayor punishes her swiftly with her own, plucking at the cotton of the Sheriff's shirt; all thoughts of Gold's threat momentarily forgotten as the front door moves back and forth on its broken latch.