hunnyfresh - Letters from War

Getting over her temporary shock, Emma trudged through the door and shut it behind her. She moved to the other side of the bed and fell onto it face first, nuzzling her face into Regina's goose down pillows.

"Mmm," she moaned into the pillow as Regina set Henry down into the middle. "I'm gonna steal one of these for my room."

"I'd rather you just sleep in my bed than steal my pillow," Regina said, pausing her tucking in of Henry when she realized what she said. She glanced up at Emma who cocked a curious brow. "I'm very tired," she reasoned.

The blonde smirked and continued to nuzzle into the pillow. Regina finally slid into bed and looked intently at her son. "That's the last time tonight, young man."

He nodded, yawning this time and snuggled into Emma who instinctively wrapped an arm around him.

"Does falling into bed together constitute as something to give the town to talk about?" Regina slid under the blankets, barely processing her off-handed comment.

Emma chuckled into her pillow. "You are so tired, Madam Mayor. I think the town would expect something a little less innocent."

Regina complied when Henry grabbed her arm to wrap around himself too as both women sandwiched the boy into a warm snuggle.

Regina yawned again, her eyelids falling closed as she muttered, "maybe another night" and within moments, the trio had finally all fallen asleep for the night.

Chapter 7

Chapter Notes

Disclaimer in Chapter One.

AN: I told people this wouldn't be up until next week, but here it is. I hope you don't mind. Also, guess who never has to take another university exam ever?

Regina slowly regained consciousness as the early morning sun flooded in through her bedroom window not two hours after falling asleep. She kept her eyes closed but allowed her brain to send signals to the rest of her body, getting it ready for another day. Normally she would make haste with waking up, but she stalled for she was certain of one thing: Henry, in his conniving little ways, had vacated the bed yet again, but Emma was still very much in it, dead to the world.

She thanked her lucky stars that they weren't in some teenage romantic comedy where she would find herself or Emma wrapped around the other, awaking in a flurry of awkward limbs and fumbling excuses. Though the thought wasn't entirely deplorable if hugging the younger woman was any indication. Not that Regina spent much time thinking about that, though the same couldn't be said for her dreams, but that was beside the point. Emma actually kept to her side of the bed, sleeping soundlessly on her back in a stable position with the space in between them still void of the little nugget that suggested their impromptu sleepover.

Where was Henry anyway?

Regina's paranoia opened herself up to the idea that perhaps her devious little prince had actually had an ulterior motive of staying awake nearly all night. He couldn't have planned to land herself and Emma in the same bed, could he? Nonsense, he was only three.

The faint fumblings in his room one door down had Regina locating him quite quickly. It sounded as if he himself was just waking, rustling the sheets as he stretched out. Henry was smart, and she wouldn't put it past him to devise over-the-top schemes to get what he wanted. He was her son, after all. If he was beginning to be manipulative now, god help her when he was older and held more forethought than instant gratification for toys and candy.

"I know you're awake."

Emma's gruff voice made Regina stiffen. She felt as if she had been caught, though for what she wasn't sure. It's not like Emma could read her mind. Instead, Regina peaked an eye open, finding the blonde still on her back though her head was turned facing Regina. Green eyes were nearly red, sore from the constant wakings of the night, though Emma looked quite awake as ever with her ever present smirk on her face. Regina popped open her other eye and offered a small grin, grimacing at the dryness of her mouth as she coughed to clear her throat. "Good morning."

"Morning."

Regina took a moment, smiling bashfully at the blonde before wiping her face into her pillow and stretching her back, feeling the blissful crack between her shoulder blades. Sated, she nestled onto her side and worried her lip, knowing Emma had been watching her every movement. "I apologize for last night," she said softly.

Emma furrowed her brow in confusion. "What part?"

"The part where my son was so hyperactive and refused to show us any mercy." Regina's cheeks had flushed pink that made the blonde chuckle.

"Life of a mother, I'm sure," Emma grinned. She paused momentarily in thought before voicing quietly, "for a second I thought you were gonna apologize for our..."

Regina shook her head and answered quietly. "No, I very much enjoyed that."

Emma's smile could have rivalled the rising sun, and Regina had to visibly look away before the blush could rise fully to her cheeks.

"So where is the trouble maker?"

Regina turned back to Emma with a curious brow before softening in understanding. "He's in his room."

"How can you tell?"

"Can't you hear him?" She pushed up onto her elbows and turned her head so her left ear was tuned toward Henry's room. "He's slipping out of bed."

Emma scrunched up her face, staying completely still to listen to what Regina had apparently heard, but the strained expression on the soldier's face had Regina chuckling.

She leaned closer to Emma, trying to direct the blonde's ear. "See?" She asked quietly as the soft sounds of floorboard creaking reached Regina's ear. "He's heading into his toy chest."

Emma continued to scrunch up her face but heard nothing.

"He's selected a toy, and now I imagine he's dropped to the floor and has begun playing." It was less than thirty seconds before Regina laughed softly to herself, and it was then Emma heard his door open and another one slam close. "And that would be him rushing to the potty."

"That's crazy sonic hearing you've got there," Emma commented.

"When your child is quiet, that is when you should be concerned," Regina said with a wry smile.

They smiled softly before Emma closed the gap between them and used her hand closest to Regina to poke the brunette's forearm. "We should do last night again sometime."

"The restless nights?"

"Sometimes restless nights have their benefits," Emma said with a smirk.

Regina bit her tongue and gauged Emma's expression. When the blonde didn't amend her statement, though there was the slightest hint of a controlled blush, Regina allowed herself to grin, shaking her head toward her pillow to partially hide her pleased reaction.

"But I mean hanging out. Just us," Emma clarified.

Regina faced Emma again, this time letting her own hand slither over to Emma's and letting their pinkies clasp. "I'd like that."

Regina couldn't help but remain locked in Emma's gaze. The events from what almost happened last night were still too fresh in her mind, and Regina wondered, perhaps if Emma was feeling it too. She hadn't pulled away when Regina entwined their fingers together, and she could have sworn Emma was just as trapped as she. This was a precarious situation, that much was true, but Regina couldn't help but feel exhilarated from it.

Before another thought could float through Regina's mind, she felt Emma tug her down, a 'shhh' hissed from pink lips as Regina was pulled onto Emma's shoulder.

"Pretend to sleep," Emma urged.

It was the soft pitter-patter of Henry's footie pyjamas down the hall that had Regina realizing Emma's intent. Without much thought, Regina shut her eyes, only realizing as Henry slammed the door open that she was all but nestled in the crook of Emma's neck like those ridiculous romantic comedies. She tried to be upset about the fact, but with Emma's muscled arm nestled around her shoulders, Regina fell into the younger woman's warmth with ease.