By the time Emma had finished her shower and made it downstairs Regina had already enjoyed three glasses of wine. It brought her total to seven drinks including the two with dinner and two glasses of apple cider. She was more then tipsy when the blonde plopped down next to her, joining her in sitting on the patio chairs with wet curls. The alcohol making her smile lazily over at her company.
"You're gonna have a wicked hangover, Ms. Mills-" "I like it better when you call me your majesty or mi reina. Actually it's best when you say my name, my FIRST name." She poured the last of the wine in her glass, only winding up with a few sips left, and set the bottle off to the side. Emma watched her closely, she could tell that she was inebriated and it was a little adorable.
"You brought a blanket with you right, Em-ma? Where did you get it? I have something similar that I made for Henry a few months before he was born." Regina drained her glass and stretched her arms over her head, the silk rising up and exposing a sliver of a taut mocha stomach that immediately grabbed Emma's attention. When the shirt covered her again she remembered there was a question she was supposed to answer.
"Ah yes, the staple for most expectant mothers is to get something with the intended name of their child on it. When I was found on the side of the road by that kid I was wrapped up in the blanket. I guess it's the only nice thing my parents ever did for me. I've kept it all these years and I still sleep with it at night. Am I less of a knight in your eyes now that you know I have to sleep with a blankie?" She chuckled and looked off into the sky, it was better than staring at the Mayor nonstop in the hopes of catching another glimpse of some more of the other woman's skin.
Regina shook her head and followed suit, looking skyward. "I wish I could put a curse on the people that gave someone like you away, Em-ma but no it doesn't make you any less desirable to me that you sleep with your blankie, quite the opposite in fact. It makes you more human and less like an angel with abs of steel." Emma's head whipped to look at Regina who was now smirking and leaning her head on her arms; she was shocked over the admission and the fact that she'd even noticed her abs.
"I think it's time to get mi reina to sleep and some water to go with it. Let me help," She stood up and held out a hand to Regina "What kind of knight would I be if I don't escort her highness to her chambers? Allow me the honor." Red lips split and dazzling white teeth appeared in a wide smile, reaching up to take the offered limb and stand up. A little too quickly it seemed and she stumbled, managing not to fall as a strong pair of arms held her up.
Regina chuckled and held onto her savior's shoulders, looking into blue green eyes "Amo cuando estas cerca de mi." The Spanish came easier when she was intoxicated, sliding her arms around Emma and burying her face into a pleasant smelling neck. It only took a moment of shock before arms were wrapping around her lower back and returning the embrace. Emma was getting better at translating Spanish so she mentally picked apart the sentence, piecing together that Regina said she loved having her close by or something to that effect.
"Gracias, me encanta estar aquí contigo," She replied softly and smiled, it was that feeling of being wanted coming back in full force and she would never tire of the way it made her heart clench "Let's get you up in bed Regina. We have a whole date tomorrow to converse in Spanish and I'll have to brush up on flirting in a new language." Emma pulled back but kept an arm around the other woman as she helped her inside, up the stairs and into her room.
Regina dropped back into her bed with a content sigh, looking up at her helper before letting out a noise of disapproval when she disappeared from sight. She pulled a blanket over her body and cuddled into her pillow, enjoying the warmth and comfort of her bed but finding it didn't make up for the way Emma's arms felt around her. Her eyes snapped open again when a sound alerted her to the presence of someone else in the room once more. Emma was setting a glass of water and a few pain pills on her bedside table, the lights now turned off but she could still see the halo of damp golden curls. "Don't go," She spoke up when the other woman turned to leave once again "Will you stay with me? Just until I fall asleep."
Emma couldn't bring herself to say no to such a request especially with the way Regina was looking at her, she sat down on the edge of the bed and the mayor smiled at the victory, curling back into her blankets and shutting her eyes again. Pale fingers reached to run through raven colored locks, a swell of pride when the smile grew while she weaved through soft hair in a repetitive motion to help lull the mayor into sleep.
"Em-ma." Regina mumbled in the same manner as she had many, many phone calls ago when falling asleep. It was a sound that often permeated her dreams, the woman breathing out her name, and she grinned before carefully pulling her hand away when the breathing turned even and slow with sleep. Emma stood up and left the bedroom, going down to clean up the empty wine bottle and wash the glass out. She needed to get some rest so she wouldn't fall asleep during her first date with Regina, something that still had her heart skipping beats, and she was quick to make up a bed on the couch before turning off the lights and buried into a blanket that smelled of Regina's perfume.
The sound of dishes and soft talking roused her from the comfort of a blanket laced with Regina's scent, peeking out from underneath it to see sunlight streaming in from the windows and an assault of scents greeting her as she started to come out of her cocoon. Emma had been jumping from one dream to the next and had to admit they were all pleasant, in several of them she was a part of the Mills family for Christmas and Halloween with her own matching pajamas and costume.
"Careful, my little prince, don't let the bacon burn." Bacon acted as the catalyst to pull the blonde free from her blankets, stretching as she padded over to the kitchen to find both Mills were already dressed for the day. Regina in jeans gave her pause, the fact that the mayor even owned a pair let alone was wearing them. She also was wearing her signature apron on over a black t-shirt with an obstructed logo. Henry was also in jeans, a more common occurrence for him, and a shirt that said Maine with trees all around it. "Morning, Swansky! We're gonna have breakfast before operation Emma's room!" He declared with a wide smile, pushing some of the bacon around with a pair of tongs.
Emma looked over to find a dazzling grin on Regina's face and a cup of hot chocolate with whipped cream and cinnamon in her hands. "Good morning, Miss Swan. I figured this would be more agreeable then coffee to you," She spared a look over to her son before lowering her voice "Also I wanted to thank you for playing savior to my pathetically drunk self last night. I know you were exhausted when I asked you to stay with me but you did it anyways. That means a lot to me, so did the water and pain pills." She handed off the cocoa and moved to help Henry plate the eggs and bacon.
She ran her finger through the cream and popped it into her mouth before following the Mills food train to the table, not missing the way Regina did a double take when she licked her finger as she passed by to retrieve a cup of coffee from the kitchen. Emma turned her attention onto Henry "How'd you sleep, kid? You knocked out before Kuzco became the emperor again but I bet you'll be glad you got the rest when we get operation my room underway. Also MY room? I thought it was a guest room I'd just be staying in for my trip or are you asking me to move in already?"
Regina almost tripped into her seat at the words, careful not to spill her coffee and smiling sheepishly at her son who checked to see if she was alright. She started to eat her breakfast like it was the most important thing in the world at that moment; partially due to her hunger but it was the best way to keep herself quiet on the subject at hand.
"I think we're just gonna fix up a guest room for you but it would be so cool if you could live here, Emma! Then we could play video games together all the time and you could keep my mom company at night when she stays up late to work on Mayor stuff." He beamed at the idea before chewing on a piece of bacon, Regina reached over to squeeze his shoulder with affection and then sipped her coffee with a look over to the woman still in pajamas.
Emma thought about her dreams, being a full-fledged member of the Mills family for Christmas and Halloween and what keeping the other woman company looked like in those dreams. She smiled at Henry and then started on her breakfast as well, letting the three of them fall into an easy silence that didn't need to be filled with any words. When they were all done eating Henry was the one to get the empty plates and start washing the dishes, leaving his mother and Emma their cups to finish their coffee and hot cocoa respectively.
"I haven't told Henry about our date tonight, it's not like I am keeping a secret from him but I just want to be mindful of my son's feelings. He loves you, Em-ma, and I want to make sure that if we do wind up dating that its.. something he'll be happy about." Regina spoke in hushed tones, trying to keep her son from finding anything out prematurely. If they went on the date and for some unseen reason things didn't work out she didn't want him to be crushed by what could have been.
"I get it Regina, I really do and I care for Henry too. I just want you to realize that if us being together is something that makes you happy it will make Henry happy. We'll find out after tonight." Emma got up with her now empty mug, wanting to wash it but having Henry take the glassware and add it to the plates and pans. She ruffled his hair before going to her bags to pull out some clothes for the day, eyeing the outfit she planned on changing into for her date with the Mayor later.
She had to arrange a few things for the date without Regina being any the wiser but she was confident she could pull it off without a hitch. Emma grabbed her clothes and boots, starting upstairs to get dressed in the bathroom she was sharing with the Mayor. Henry watched her disappear and approached his mother when he thought the coast was clear "What are you and Emma going to do when I am at Ava and Nicholas's house?"
Regina was pouring herself a second cup of coffee, needing the energy to keep her alert when they were cleaning the guest room, and she arched her eyebrow at the question. "Whatever do you mean, my little prince? I'm not sure-" "You should take Emma on a date, Mom. I bet she'd love that!" She almost poured coffee all over the counter at his abrupt suggestion, managing to control herself enough to just put the pot back into the machine.
"Henry, are you positive that would be a good idea?" She asked, finishing off her coffee with a little bit of sugar before taking a drink of the strong beverage, giving her time to consider the fact that her son had just offered up the idea of them dating unprovoked. Henry nodded his head with enthusiasm and a huge smile, clearly he was quite happy with the concept. "It'd be an awesome idea. You like Emma and she likes you, I can tell. So you guys should go out tonight! Ask her when we're working on the room and I bet you a comic book she'll say yes."
She chuckled, her son was capable of appearing wise beyond his years but still retained his childlike mindset. She shook his offered hand before turning to see Emma had rejoined them. Her hair brushed and falling in loose curls on her shoulders with a Star Wars shirt on and yet another pair of skinny jeans that looked to be tailored specifically to her body. "What are we shaking on? Is there a new deal in the kingdom?" The woman asked with a tilt of her head.
Henry shrugged before going to grab Emma's hand and lead her back upstairs "We need to get started on your room already, Emma. Mom doesn't like that you have to sleep on the couch," He led her to a closed door and stopped in front of it "What's the password for your room going to be?" He had a hand on the doorknob and looked at her expectantly. She hadn't realized she was going to need one but she considered the possibility that he was teasing her.
"Does your room have a password? Your mom just opened the door last night for us to put you to bed," Emma crossed her arms over her chest "And for that matter does your mother's room have a password?"
"Manzana," Regina said as she passed behind them with her cup of coffee, heading towards her own bedroom "Apple in Spanish. Henry's is 8/15/01. It's something we started doing when he was younger and first started his operations. You typically knock and then say the password. Kind of like a clearance to prove you're part of the inner circle. Consider it a high honor to be accepted into our ranks."
Emma smiled, of course Regina's would be apple, and she guessed that Henry's was his birthday "Okay, cisne. It means swan. Simple and easy to remember for the three of us. Can I see my room now?" Henry repeated the new phrase a few times to commit it to memory before opening the door. The guest room had several boxes all marked with different holidays around and a few instruments- a keyboard, a very small drum set, a violin, and a gorgeous acoustic guitar that caught Emma's eye the instant she saw it.
"It was my grandpa's, at least that's what my mom told me. She said he would play songs and sing in Spanish to her and she would dance," Henry said, watching as Emma ran her fingers along the wood "Do you play? I bet my mom would be really happy to have someone playing the guitar for her again." She strummed the instrument and smiled over at her friend.
"I can play but I don't think I should. It's probably a prized heirloom at this point." Emma lifted it up and looked at the well-worn leather strap that read Henry Mills with a smaller Regina next to it in gold, running her thumb along the R in her name. The Mayor had finished up in her room and was now leaning in the doorway, watching the other woman with a small smile on her face.
Henry shrugged and started to grab one of the boxes labeled Henry's baby clothes "I think you should play for my mom sometime. She misses my grandpa a lot and it would make her feel like he's here." He turned to his mother with the box in his arms and followed as she led him to the attic where the boxes had come from. Emma sat on the edge of the bed, playing a few chords to herself, and then set it in a rocking chair near the window. It didn't deserve to go up to the attic and gather dust when it was clear that the instrument was well loved.
She pulled her hair back into a ponytail before grabbing a box that said Christmas, one of four boxes with that written in Regina's flowing cursive, and got to work on taking it to the attic. After Christmas was stored the three of them moved through the rest of the holidays from Halloween to Thanksgiving, Easter to Independence Day. The instruments also made it up to the attic except for the guitar resting in the chair. Regina pulled the curtains open to let in light and Henry high fived Emma now that the guest room was finished, a job well done.
He gave his mother a look that Emma didn't comprehend before announcing that he needed to go to the bathroom, leaving them alone. "Okay, what was the look that he gave you? Does this have anything to do with the handshake I walked in on when you two were in the kitchen?" Emma walked over to Regina, getting a good look at the shirt that read long live the queen in red with a crown on the N. It was perfect for her.
Regina shook her head and walked around the room to check if there was anything else about it that needed to be cleaned up. "My brilliant son has come to the conclusion I need to ask you out on a date," Emma chuckled at that, knowing the ship had already sailed "I owe him a comic book if you say yes. Since you've already asked me out for this evening I suppose this means I am asking you for a second one before we've even seen how our first will go. I don't think this is how these things are supposed to happen, rushing from one right into the other. But Henry insists so…. Em-ma, will you go on a date with me?" She came to a stop, turning on her foot to face the blonde with her hands clasped in front of her.
Emma pulled a face, pretending to be contemplating her options as she took the few steps to close the distance between herself and the Mayor. She reached out to separate two tan hands, taking each into one of her own. "You should go with something from DC, maybe Wonder Woman. I would love to go out with you Ms. Mills, tonight and whenever you want our second to be." She lifted one of the hands within her own, kissing the back of it before repeating the action with the other. It made Regina's heart start to pound against her ribcage and she knew the feeling of those soft lips on her skin was now burnt into her memory, it just made her wonder what they would feel like against her own.
Regina opened her mouth to say something when Henry came into the room with his cellphone in hand "Ava and Nicholas just asked if I could come over early," The fact that they were holding hands didn't go unnoticed "Maybe we could pick up a comic on the way Mom?" He asked with a smug smile, knowing that she had to have gotten a yes to the date for them to be so close together.
"Actually I was thinking I'd drive you over to your sleepover. I've got to grab some stuff from around town and I figured I could drop you off during my errands," Emma offered but looked over at Regina, finally letting go of her hands "If it's okay with her highness, of course." Regina nodded and watched as Henry hurried out of the room with a yelp about going to pack his overnight bag. "Tomorrow's Monday so I can also pick him and get him to school in the morning, I don't want you to have to rush off and potentially be late for work. I'm just visiting so I have nowhere to get to in a hurry."
Emma was very considerate and Regina welcomed the help, she was so accustomed to doing everything for herself and Henry that it was a nice change of pace to have someone else wanting to assist them. "That would be wonderful, Miss Swan. I'm sure Henry will want to show you around school a bit and have you talk with Miss Blanchard again. I'll have to get you one of our spare keys so you won't be locked out of the mansion all day but, if you find yourself bored at any point, you are welcome to come see what being the mayor of Storybrooke is like by coming to my office." The idea of the blonde sitting in one of the chairs across from her desk made her smile, it would make it harder to focus on work but it would also bring a lot of light to her office.
"Ready Swansky?" Henry appeared with his backpack on one shoulder and a duffle bag in the other, knowing he had school in the morning and would need both. Emma nodded and started over to him only to hold up one finger, turning back to Regina "About that dress code for tonight? I just wanted to let you know I'll be in black and white. I don't know if that helps in anyway." She went to wrap an arm around Henry's shoulders and lead him down to get her jacket and keys.
Black was one of her signature shades and she had a lot of different options in both colors. Regina knew she'd have just the thing to wear, depending on what they were doing which she had a feeling she wouldn't find out until it was time. She walked over to one of the windows and looked out as Emma and Henry got into the bug, her two favorite people in the world driving away in one little car the color of sunshine.