I do not own the rights to the TV show, the characters, or the music. This is just me writing as a fan.
No copyright infringement intended. Pls don't sue me. :)
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"Sweet Success"
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The first batch of cupcakes looked like sad, deflated yellow hockey pucks.
"That's not right," Emma muttered, poking one with a finger and wincing when it didn't spring back. She checked her phone again, squinting at the recipe. "I followed all the steps!"
The kitchen counter was already dusted with flour, scattered with eggshells, and sticky with spilled vanilla extract. But Emma Swan didn't give up easily, especially not when it came to surprising Regina.
It had started when Henry casually mentioned that his mum used to have afternoon tea every day as a queen, complete with delicate pastries and fancy cakes. The way Regina's eyes had lit up at the memory made something squeeze in Emma's chest.
Hence, Operation Teatime was born.
"Okay," Emma squared her shoulders, pulling out fresh ingredients. "Round two."
The second batch somehow managed to be simultaneously burnt on top and raw in the middle, a feat Emma hadn't even known was possible.
"How?" she demanded of the offending cupcakes. "Just... how?"
A puff of flour rose from her hair as she ran frustrated fingers through it. The kitchen looked like a war zone, with measuring cups scattered like fallen soldiers and a suspicious yellow drip slowly making its way down the cabinet door.
Her phone buzzed.
Regina [3:15 PM: Should I be concerned about the smoke detector going off at your apartment?
Emma glanced guiltily at the window she'd opened to clear out the burnt smell.
Emma [3:16 PM: everything's fine! just... cooking
Regina [3:16 PM: Do I need to come over?
Emma [3:17 PM: NO
Emma [3:17 PM: i mean no thank you im good
Regina [3:18 PM: ...if you burn down the building, dear, it's quite a lot of paperwork for me.
Emma [3:19 PM: trust me? please?
There was a long pause before Regina's reply came through.
Regina [3:22 PM: Always. Try not to require the fire brigade's assistance.
Emma smiled at her phone, then looked determinedly at her remaining ingredients. "Third time's the charm?"
This time, she measured everything twice. She remembered to bring the eggs to room temperature like the recipe insisted. She even used the proper measuring spoons instead of eyeballing it.
"Please," she whispered as she slid the tin into the oven. "Please be good."
When the timer dinged, Emma approached the oven with the caution of someone disarming a bomb. She opened the door slowly, and...
"They're yellow!" she exclaimed. "And actually cupcake-shaped!"
The kitchen looked like a flour bomb had gone off, there was lemon zest absolutely everywhere, and she was pretty sure she had sugar in her socks, but the cupcakes were perfect. Golden, fluffy, and smelling divine.
She was just finishing the lemon buttercream when she heard the click of heels in the hallway.
"No, no, no," Emma muttered, looking frantically around at the disaster zone that was her kitchen. "You're early!"
The door opened before she could do more than attempt to wipe some flour off her face, which probably just made it worse.
Regina stopped in the doorway, taking in the scene before her. Emma, covered in flour and what appeared to be egg yolk, stood amid chaos, holding a piping bag of buttercream and wearing an expression that mixed pride with panic.
"I can explain," Emma started.
Regina's eyes moved from the mess to the perfectly frosted cupcakes on the cooling rack, arranged on the vintage tea set Emma had borrowed from her mother.
"Emma," Regina said softly, stepping into the kitchen. "Did you do all this for me?"
Emma shifted nervously. "Henry mentioned the afternoon tea thing, and I thought... I mean, I know it's not exactly the same as what you had in the Enchanted Forest, but I wanted to..." she gestured vaguely with the piping bag, accidentally adding a streak of buttercream to the collection of ingredients on her shirt.
Regina crossed the kitchen carefully, avoiding the worst of the mess, and picked up one of the cupcakes. She took a delicate bite, and Emma held her breath.
"These," Regina said after a moment, "are perfect."
"Really?" Emma's face lit up. "Because the first batch was basically concrete, and the second batch was some kind of paradox of physics, but I really wanted to get them right, and—"
Regina cut off her rambling with a kiss that tasted of lemon and sugar. When she pulled back, she was smiling that real smile that made her eyes crinkle at the corners.
"How long did this take you?"
Emma glanced at the clock and winced. "About... five hours?"
Regina looked around at the devastation of the kitchen, then back at Emma, who was still beaming despite being covered in various baking ingredients.
"Well then," Regina waved her hand, and purple magic swept through the kitchen, setting everything right. Flour vanished from surfaces (and Emma's hair), dishes washed themselves, and ingredients flew back into cupboards. "I think you've earned a break."
"Hey," Emma protested weakly, "I was going to clean up!"
"Darling," Regina said dryly, "I've seen you clean. This way we might actually get to enjoy our tea while the cupcakes are fresh."
She settled at the small kitchen table, which was now spotless, and gestured for Emma to join her. With another wave of her hand, a steaming teapot appeared.
"I thought you might want to focus on the baking rather than worry about the tea itself," she explained at Emma's raised eyebrow.
Emma sat down, suddenly feeling shy. "Is this... is this okay? I know it's not the same as what you had before, but—"
Regina reached across the table to take her hand. "Emma, this is better. Because you did this for me. Although," her lips twitched, "perhaps next time allow me to help before you wage war on the kitchen?"
"Next time?" Emma perked up.
"Mmm," Regina took another bite of her cupcake. "These really are excellent. Though I am curious about batches one and two."
Emma groaned, dropping her head to the table. "Can we pretend those never happened?"
"Never," Regina said cheerfully. "I need all the details. Especially about how you managed to get flour on the ceiling."
"That's it, no more cupcakes for you."
"Too late," Regina smirked, taking another one. "I've already magically preserved them for posterity."
But her free hand was still holding Emma's, thumb brushing over her knuckles, and her eyes were soft with something that looked a lot like love.
Emma figured that was worth all the failed cupcakes in the world.
"Hey Regina?"
"Hmm?"
"Next time, I'm thinking chocolate."
Regina's laugh was sweeter than any frosting could ever be.