hunnyfresh - Letters from War

Regina nodded against her head. "You've never had a proper birthday party before, and you're leaving next week, so October was out of the question." She tilted her head ever so slightly. "I brought it up with Ms. Bell, and it may have escalated from there."

Emma chuckled lightly and opened her eyes. They drifted closed when Regina removed her hands from around Emma's waist to wipe away the moisture that gathered under the blonde's eyes. She left her hand there, cupping Emma's cheek, and all Emma could do was lean into her palm, step closer into Regina's warmth.

Not for the first time all week, Emma's head tilted forward, willing to break the rule she set for herself just this once and feel the soft red lips that had been tantalizing her since she came to Storybrooke. "Regina, can I-"

"Mommy." Henry's voiced sounded muffled, and though the women didn't spring apart, they turned their heads to see Henry's face pressed up against the glass panel, his teeth barred and his nose scrunched up like a pig. "What you doing?"

Emma chuckled lightly and released Regina, though as if magnetized their hands found each other as they linked their fingers together. She tapped the glass in front of Henry's face, and the boy pulled back, wiping his face from the moisture he created there and helped the women open the door. Before they fully stepped over the threshold, Emma slowed her pace and swiftly kissed Regina's cheek.

Regina gasped and pressed her palm to where Emma's lips had been, but the blonde grinned and squeezed their conjoined hands. "Thank you."

Chapter 8

Chapter Notes

AN: I couldn't reply to all you awesome people in your reviews because I went over my Internet plan, but you will hear a reply from me within a few days. Thank you all so much for your support! Also, you guys should check out this wicked awesome fanvideo inspired by this story created by regal-duckling: regal(dash)duckling(period)tumblr(period)com / post/ 82586794519/ every- night- a- swan- queen- fanvid- inspired- by. A couple instances in this chapter were inspired by King of the Ashers' suggestions, so I hope you like them.

Emma had never had a real birthday party before. It was one of the fun facts she had shared with Regina on their night of Twenty Questions, uncertain feelings, and missed opportunities. Even on base, she rarely divulged intimate information about herself. She was private and she liked to keep it like that, but August had taken it upon himself to give her some sort of dessert with a candle on it for the last three years (last year August had claimed shepherd's pie was still considered a pie and strategically placed corn kernels on top of the mashed potatoes in the form of a candle), and along with Regina's presents which continued to surprise her, it was the closest thing to a party she ever had.

That is until now.

Now there were people surrounding her, people she genuinely liked and for some reason found her amicable as well. In three weeks the friendships she had formed in Storybrooke were more than all the interactions she had ever had in her entire life. It was bittersweet, sitting in the mansion's family room after blowing out her cake, red velvet she had discovered after Henry had shoved cream cheese frosting in both hers and Regina's faces. The comical silence that surrounded the room after that one made Emma want to laugh, and August did since as the new token outsider of Storybrooke he was unaware of the Mayor's generally sour disposition, but then Regina laughed, and even though Emma had heard it hundreds of times before, right then, in that moment as they stood behind her birthday cake with her friends surrounding her, it was the most glorious sound in the world. Melodious yet dark just as the brunette woman herself, Regina laughed and smothered her frosting-creamed face against her son's, the trio matching in their disaster as the rest of the party deemed the situation safe enough to enjoy in the Mayor's unexpected behaviour.

Regina had given Henry's cheek a quick wipe, the boy squirming when his mother dampened the napkin by blotting it with her tongue, and Emma watched amused as Henry reached for her in an attempt to escape his mother's hold, her own napkin wiping at her face. She didn't know what had possessed her, but caring little for the audience before them, Emma reached for Regina's cheek, using the pad of her thumb to wipe away the smallest amount of frosting that Regina had missed on the edge of her lips and thought nothing of it as she sucked the cream into her mouth. She did notice the way Regina breath stagnated and how her pupils dilated, but as clear as it was on her face, Regina had ducked her head and exited the room, Henry still positioned on her hip.

She had left the family room twenty minutes later, taking her time to thank the people who had shown up, rolling her eyes at Ruby's cheeky grin, and sitting down with August, amazed that he was even in Storybrooke. By the time the party had dispersed for refreshments or otherwise, Emma noticed Regina still hadn't returned to the room and ventured off to look for her. She was only a few steps out of the family room and into the hallway of the kitchen when she spotted the woman in question pulling out spinach puffs from the oven and talking quietly with none other than Tina Bell. Henry was nowhere to be seen, so Emma could only assume that the boy had snuck off as he was so prone to do, but under the sound of quiet chattering from the adults in the house, she could hear the soft pitter patter of Henry's gait somewhere in the house. She could hear him, so he wasn't getting into too much trouble.

It pleased Emma to know that despite Regina's trepidations about relationships, friendships or otherwise, she had allowed Tina's help to plan something for her. The thought continued to make the butterflies in her stomach flutter wildly, and Emma let the pleased grin etch her face. She turned quietly, allowing them the time to talk. Intending to return to the family room to grab a plate for the lasagna she saw Regina put out on the dining room table, Emma detoured when she heard a restrained grunt and made her way to the parlour.

August was sitting on the couch facing away the window, his prosthetic leg outstretched as he pulled his pant leg up to reveal the metal and plastic contraption rising from his boot. She was about to sit down with him, but a small audible gasp had her squinting, and there behind the opposite couch was Henry, hidden behind the couch on all fours with his head sticking out just under the armrest.

His eyes were blown wide and his lips were parted as August fiddled with his leg, but nothing compared to how cute it was when he pressed both hands to his mouth in shock so quickly he nearly fell face first onto the carpet when August, with the smallest nearly imperceptible smirk on his face, moved his wrist up to his mouth, fiddled with his watch, and spoke in some high pitched gibberish.

"Orion-1 to Mothership, successful landing and infiltration. Planet filled with civilization. Do not attack," August said in a robotic voice that sounded similar to Data.

"I knew it!" Henry exclaimed quietly, moving to retreat back behind the couch.

Emma rolled her eyes when she saw August covering his mouth with his fist as he shook with silent chuckles. She moved the short distance to catch Henry's retreating, crawling form, and the boy nearly screamed in terror until he realized it was Emma who had him. He clung to her neck fiercely, burying his face into the crook as Emma walked them over to the couch where August sat, finally composed but immensely proud of his joke.

"Stop teasing him," Emma scolded, attempting to reposition Henry so he sat outwards on her lap, but he refused to move.

"I don't know what you're talking about," August smirked.

Emma grabbed August's wrist and spoke into his watch. "Mothership, Orion-1 is an idiot."