The following morning, Emma slipped out of bed and stole Regina's housecoat, sneaking down the stairs and sleepily making her way to the kitchen. She yawned as she fumbled for the light switch, taking a step back and shielding her eyes as they adjusted to the blinding light. She immediately made her way to the coffee machine, popping in a k-cup and sliding a mug underneath, yawning again as she lowered the lever and pushed the start button. She then made her way to the fridge for some cream as the coffee brewed, grabbing the sugar on her way back and setting both items on the counter. When the coffee had finished being poured, she lifted the handle of the machine and tossed the used k-cup (she'd been reprimanded several times over by Regina for leaving them in there) before grabbing her mug. She then poured in a generous amount of cream and a criminal amount of sugar since Regina wasn't around to say no, leaning back against the counter as she took a long, delicious sip of her drink. She sat there for a few minutes and enjoyed her coffee before sighing contently and putting both the sugar and the cream back in their rightful places.
Emma began puttering around the kitchen, quietly reaching for frying pans and spatulas, grabbing eggs and bacon and bread, slicing up strawberries and bananas as the eggs and bacon fried. She prepared a veritable feast, plating eggs and bacon, toast and jam, fruit and cheese, and filling up a large glass of orange juice before grabbing two forks.
She then slowly made her way upstairs, gently pushing open the door to Regina's bedroom and slipping inside. The woman was still sleeping soundly, and Emma debated for a moment whether or not she should wake her. When she glanced at the time (8:13a.m.), early for Emma but incredibly late for Regina, her mind was made. Regina would be upset if she were left to sleep any longer, so Emma padded into the room and slowly lowered the plate, forks, and the glass on the nightstand. She then sat on the edge of the bed, simply admiring the sleeping woman.
God, Regina was beautiful. Even asleep like this, no, especially asleep like this, her expression soft and peaceful, her hair a bit of a mess but in an endearing way. Emma liked that Regina was make up free, her hair wild and untamed, laying here unguarded and just… so trusting of Emma. Regina was so guarded around everyone else. She'd never allow herself to go without make up around anyone but her son or Emma. She'd never let anyone else see her sleep like this, never lower her defenses to the point that she'd actually fall asleep in anyone else's presence. Emma was so privileged to see the stoic mayor like this, so lucky, and it warmed her to know that Regina trusted her so.
Emma loved that she got to see Regina in ways no one else did. She loved that she was one of two people who got to see in her pyjamas, loved that she got to see Regina laugh without care, giggle like a teenager, and then moan wantonly when Emma touched her. She loved the sounds she could pull from her, that were strictly for her, loved that she was the only one allowed to touch her perfect breasts, that were so warm and soft and good God Emma needed to stop thinking about that because she was going to get horny again (a seemingly perpetual state as of late).
Emma reached out and tucked Regina's hair behind her ear, freeing her cheek for a kiss. She pressed her lips to the soft skin there, whispering Regina's name as her hand began rubbing slow circles along her back. Regina was on her side, but the blanket was covering most of her body, so Emma tugged on it a little to expose more of the woman's pyjama-covered torso. She then leaned forward again when Regina failed to stir, widening the strokes of her palm and kissing her again. She peppered gentle kisses along her cheek, nose, and forehead, pulling back with a smile when Regina finally, slowly, opened her eyes.
"Hi, baby," Emma said softly. "Good morning."
Regina blinked repeatedly to try and clear the sleep from her eyes, reaching up to rub them. She inhaled deeply, frowning for a second as she looked over to the source of the smell in the room.
"Bacon and eggs?" she asked, voice thick with sleep.
Emma chuckled.
"Yeah. I made you breakfast in bed. You've been starving every morning lately, so I figured I'd save you a step and bring the food to you."
Regina took another deep breath, sighing heavily (happily), her gaze falling back to the woman looking down so reverently at her. She gave her a dopey smile now that she was more awake, her heart swelling at Emma's gentle touches to her back.
"I love you."
Emma's smile grew tenfold.
"I love you too, sweetheart."
She leaned forward then, Regina returning the kiss before suddenly pulling away with a noise of regret.
"Morning breath," she said, frowning as her hand came up between them.
"I don't care," Emma reassured her. "I like kissing you."
"I meant you have morning breath."
Emma laughed loudly then, Regina joining her (Regina had meant herself, but she couldn't resist the opportunity to tease Emma at least a little).
"You're such a jerk in the morning."
"My love, I'm a jerk all the time. That's why you love me."
Emma grinned, helping Regina sit up when the woman began shifting. When Regina settled, sitting up against the headboard, Emma leaned forward and pecked her on the nose.
"I do love you even though you wound my soul deeply, and despite your unbelievably hurtful words this morning, I'm still going to feed you. That's how much I love you."
Emma then reached for the plate and the two forks, settling them on Regina's outstretched legs. She pulled the glass over to the edge of the night table so that it was within Regina's reach.
"This looks wonderful, darling. However, I don't understand why I have two forks. I only need one to eat this delicious looking breakfast."
Emma rolled her eyes (and fought a grin) at Regina's obviously teasing tone, plucking the second fork from the other woman's hand.
"You're sharing this with me, Madame Mayor."
Regina gave a soft laugh before looking at Emma seriously.
"Thank you for breakfast."
"You're welcome, honey. Now eat."
Regina did as instructed, moaning softly at the delicious eggs. They were a little cold, but it didn't matter. They were still perfectly cooked, egg whites soft and fluffy and the yolk runny, just as she liked them. She grabbed a piece of bacon, swiping it through the golden liquid and bringing it to her lips. Her eyes closed in appreciation of the tasty food, grabbing another piece and repeating the action.
The women ate in companionable silence, smiling at one another when their eyes met. They cleared the plate, Regina letting out a loud burp when she sat back with satisfaction. Her eyes bugged out of her head, and she laughed along with Emma at the very un-Regina-like burp.
"I've become incredibly gassy with this pregnancy."
Emma nodded, though she was still giggling a little.
"That's common."
"Is it now?" Regina asked. Emma sounded so confident in her response.
"Yep. Read about it on my little app. They've got a lot of interesting articles on there. Burping way more often is normal. Farting more is too apparently. And later on in the pregnancy they said you're gonna be pooping a bunch of times a day because the baby'll get so big it'll start sitting on your bowels and making you go."
Regina made a face.
"You know far too much about my digestive future."
Emma laughed.
"Yep. Speaking of apps, let's see what it says about our little worm today."
"Our child is not a worm."
Emma shrugged.
"Your sister started it and it stuck. Blame her. Now, what do we have here?" Emma scrolled through her phone until she found the desired app, clicking on it and beginning to read. "16 weeks pregnant. Your worm is now-"
"It does not say worm!" Regina protested, reaching for the phone.
"-is now about the size of an avocado," Emma continued, laughing, as she held the phone away from Regina, "Congratulations! You are now 16 weeks pregnant! From this week on, your baby's skeletal system is developing fast and you may feel the most wonderful moment in pregnancy – your baby's first kicks!"
Emma and Regina instantly looked at each other, both smiling widely. They then looked back down at Regina's belly excitedly.
"Anything?"
"No, I haven't felt anything. However, when I do, you will be the first to know."
"Good," Emma said, turning back to her phone. "If you're lucky, you may feel your baby's first movement at this time, though some may not be able to feel it until about 18 weeks. Oh," Emma said, a little disappointed before continuing to read, "These first kicks may be described as flutters or butterflies in your stomach. If you still don't feel any kicks yet- be patient. Usually, women start feeling the kicks sometime between 16 and 20 weeks."
"I cannot wait to feel our child moving."
"Me either."
"What else has developed this week?"
Emma turned back to the phone, swiping from the mother on the app to the baby.
"During your fourth month, your baby is growing amazingly fast! Your baby moves, turns, hiccups, and kicks inside your womb. By 16 weeks, taste buds have already developed, so your baby is now sensitive to certain flavors. The amniotic fluid mimics the taste of what you eat, so your baby samples what you are ingesting.
"Maybethat's why you wanted that doughnut yesterday. Kid is half mine. It knows a good looking dessert when it's around and decided it wanted my food."
Regina shook her head.
"Let's hope not. I don't need any additional calories to encourage any more weight gain to this body. I'm already far heavier than I've ever been."
Emma stopped, putting down her phone and looking at Regina seriously.
"You're beautiful no matter what." Knowing Regina didn't believe her, Emma continued. She'd continue until she was blue in the face, repeat reassurances to the woman she loved until her dying breath, but she would never give up on telling Regina how she felt. "No matter what you look like, no matter how much you gain or lose or retain or whatever. You are beautiful to me, Regina. I was just looking at you sleep this morning and I was thinking about how fucking lucky I am. I'm lucky because you're in my life."
"Emma…"
"No. I want to tell you this because I haven't said it enough. I am completely in love with you, with you as a person, with your heart, your mind, your spirit. And because of that, I'm automatically in love with – and attracted to – your body physically, no matter what it looks like. I've dated women of all shapes and sizes, Regina. I don't have specific type. I didn't fall in love with you because you were skinny. And I won't fall out of love with you if you go up a pant size, or two, or ten. Because I don't care about that. I'm not that vain, baby. That shit doesn't matter to me. What I fell in love with was your fire," Emma insisted, reaching over and holding Regina's hand in her own, "your temper, your sass, your spirit, your maternal instincts. I fell in love with the woman who gives me shit for not rinsing my plate before putting it in the dishwasher, who makes my son's lunches for school, who runs this town single handedly, who is smarter than every god damn person I know. I fell in love with your laugh. I fell in love with the way you look with your glasses sitting on the edge of your nose when you're reading. I fell in love with the way that you love me.
"I fell in love with your pre-baby body because it belonged to you. Not because it looked a certain way. And I'm in love with your pregnancy body because, again, it belongs to you, and I'm going to love your post-pregnancy body because it'll be yours. But more than that Regina, I'll love it because of what it did for me. How in the hell can I not love it?" Emma asked, tears gathering in her eyes as she thought of just what Regina was doing for her. "How the hell can I not love every single inch of the body that is growing my child? How can I not be attracted to every single change you're going through knowing that you are going through them because you are carrying my baby? Regina, I'm falling more in love with you and with your body because of it. The single greatest gift you can give me is to love and grow and birth and raise and mother my children. The way that you've raised and loved Henry, the way that you're growing and going to raise this child, how can I not be head over heels for you and the body you possess?"
Regina, who had begun crying far before Emma finished, burst into tears at the insistence in the other woman's words. She quickly shucked the blankets, shifting over until she was seated in Emma's lap, throwing her arms around her.
Regina hadn't really meant anything by the comment. Hadn't really meant to imply anything (okay, well, maybe a little). But the words that followed, the words that Emma said, the way she reiterated what she had said yesterday – the same but different – well, it made Regina cry is what it did. She may not have been completely serious, but Emma's words had shut down any further negative comments that may have been uttered later.
Emma held Regina close, rubbing her back and saying soothing words into her ear. She pulled the blanket up to warp around Regina's waist like a protective cocoon, using her arms to complete the safety nest she'd built around the mother of her children.
"Your body will always be attractive to me just by virtue of being yours, Regina. Because I'm in love with your mind and your spirit, not with your looks. I will love you and want you and protect you for as long as you'll have me, Regina."
Regina simply clung to her, unable to speak for the tears. She cried softly, warmed by the both the sincerity in Emma's voice as well as the words themselves. Never had such sweet things been said to her (well, not since Daniel), and Regina was unable to do anything more than cry. She was overwhelmed, in a good way of course, and so she let herself expel her emotions in the only way she currently could. Her pregnancy was leaving her unable to fight her emotions, and she needed to cry, so she gave into the urge.
Emma held Regina until she calmed, passing her Kleenexes and tossing the used tissues in the garbage. She wiped her cheeks and kissed her forehead, cupping her jaw with her hands as she leaned forward and placed a chaste kiss on her lips. She ducked her head to look into Regina's eyes, smiling softly at her.
"Hello, beautiful."
Regina let out a wet laugh, swiping at the happy tear that escaped.
"Gods, the way you make me cry…"
"In a good way, I hope."
"In a very good way, my love." Regina took a deep, cleansing breath, her heart light.
"You make me feel more loved than I have in a very, very long time. In far too long. You treat me in a way that I'm not sure I ever have been before."
"I treat you the way a person should treat the woman they love and respect. I love you, Regina, but I also respect the hell out of you. And I want you to feel good about this, about us, about yourself. I want you to feel confident in my love for you. I want you to know that you can eat 100 doughnuts and I'll love you. Hell, I'd be damn proud of you. And I'd get a second box of another 100 doughnuts and eat 'em with you. I want you to know you can burp as loud as you want and I'll find you sexy anyway. I want you to know that short of like, going off the deep end and becoming someone other than the woman I fell in love with, I'm gonna love you just as hard as I always have. Harder, actually, because the more we're together, the more time we spend together, the better I get to know you and the more I fall in love with you, sweetheart."
Regina reached up and gripped Emma's wrists, holding them tightly.
"It frightens me how much I love and need you, Emma Swan. Because I cannot envision a future without you."
Emma's heart swelled at Regina's whispered confession.
"I don't want you to. Because I need and love you just as much. I feel my own insecurities, my own doubts, but they go away when I'm with you. I feel safe with you. Like I can do anything. You're my safe place, Regina, and for someone who grew up feeling scared, alone, unsafe, who was abused and neglected and unloved and just… my life was dark until you and Henry showed me what it was like to have light in my life. I've stopped just surviving because of you two. Now, I live. I'm happy. Because you love me."
Regina, whose tears had returned, nodded vehemently.
"I love you dearly."
Emma smiled confidently.
"Then that's all I need in life," Emma said softly, leaning forward and pressing a gentle kiss to Regina's lips.
A/N: Next stop: Date night!