hunnyfresh - Letters from War

The inside of his tent was a bright red hue from the roof while sunlight trickled in from the mesh window. The tent was only large enough so that both women could get only their heads and arms inside, but once they had settled, Emma could see Henry, huddled into the furthest corner clutching Rex, Sea Turtle, and Rexy Junior to his chest, his cheeks stained with tears and his lip jutting out in a pout.

"Sweetie, come here," Regina enticed, opening up her arms for comfort.

The conflict in Henry's eyes told both women that while he wanted comfort and promises that he'd get what he want, he wanted to make a point and resisted his mother's warmth with a petulant shake of his head.

"But we're going to go ride horses today," Regina propositioned. "We can't do that if you stay in here all day."

"But I don't want Emma to go!" He cried hard, a fresh wave of tears streaming down his face, his mouth opened wide as one long wail came out of him.

"Oh sweetie," Regina frowned and tugged Henry toward her. It didn't take much effort to get the boy to cave and wrap his arms around his mother, wetting her blouse with his tears. "I don't want her to go either," she whispered softly into his hair, rubbing his back and threading her fingers through his hair.

Emma frowned, watching as both brunettes hugged tightly. She managed to shimmy her way further into the tent and nudged Henry with her head. He quieted down and grabbed the front of his polo to wipe his nose on it, coughing hard into his shirt to get control of his breathing. She held up her pinky when he was settled and looked imploringly, not only at Henry but also casting a side eye to his mother. "I promise you I will be back, and we will have even more fun."

He eyed her pinky warily. "When?"

Emma gave a tight-lipped smile. "I don't know that yet, but as soon as I get to go home again I'm coming right back here."

"Tomorrow?" He asked hopefully.

She laughed sadly, and even Regina gave her son an extra tight squeeze. "Not tomorrow, honey," Regina said.

"Day after that?"

Emma shook her head. "Not anytime soon, kid. But you know what?" He lifted his head an inch from Regina's chest to indicate he was listening. "We can write to each other again. I missed getting pictures from you. Did you like drawing for me?"

He nodded softly, wiping at his nose again and allowing Regina to dry his cheeks with her thumb.

"You can help Mommy write to Emma," Regina added. "Remember we send her gifts that you pick out?"

He nodded again, more bounce to his approval.

"Can you come out now or are we going to have a camp out here for the day?" Emma questioned lightly.

Henry tilted his head, clearly thinking the thought of a camp out was just as enticing as visiting the ponies, but his love for the animals overrode his desire to play camping for he nodded again. "We go ride the horses now?"

Regina pressed a kiss to his head. "Yes, we'll go see them now."

"Well," Emma drawled with a shrug. "Not until I get my hug first."

She didn't have to wait long for Henry to stand and launch himself at Emma, his arms wrapping around her head as he hugged her fiercely. Emma wasn't usually a hugger, not until she had come to Storybrooke where the need to blow raspberries against Henry's neck or the desire to wrap an arm around Regina's waist was so strong she found herself doing so instinctively. As she hugged the little boy, the one she had watched grow up through letters and drawings, she put all of herself in that moment because who knew how big the kid would get before the next time she saw him.

The day flew by too quickly for Emma to even comprehend. One minute, Regina was enticing her to get on a horse two times the size of her bug (probably faster too, Regina had joked). It took a well-placed kiss and a look that promised more for Emma to pull herself up on the stirrups, easing her beating heart and making a mental note that animals could smell fear and to calm down. Tanks were one thing, they had a driver and didn't really go faster than ten miles an hour, but horses, they had a mind of their own and could buck you off for thirty feet and kick you in the jaw to boot. Regina laughed softly at the conflict behind Emma's eyes as she clutched the rein tightly. Regina and Henry were nestled on top of their own stallion that looked twice as fierce as her own. Mother and son were adorable in their matching helmets and jodhpurs that Emma wished they had taken the camera with them so she could keep the image with her. It was almost as memorable as when she nearly took a branch to the forehead because she had been too distracted with Regina singing a Spanish lullaby with Henry. She had received quite the scolding from Regina for being so careless, but it was worth it in her opinion.

By the time they returned for a late lunch, Henry had tired himself out from the day's activities yet fought nap time regardless. It seemed he too didn't want to waste a minute sleeping when he could be having fun with Emma, but when the two women sat on the couch for a moment, Henry nestled in between them, he was out like a light. Emma had carried him up to his room, tucking Rex under his arm before pressing a kiss to his forehead and departing to find Regina sitting on the back patio, a wine glass between her fingers as her feet scraped along the hardwood where she rocked from the swinging chair.

"Hi," Emma greeted, taking the seat next to her and automatically linking their fingers together.

"Hello," Regina greeted softly, staring out at her garden in contemplation.

"What are you thinking about?"

Regina rolled a non-committal shoulder and sighed. "Tomorrow will be very unusual."

"I know," the blonde agreed, removing her hand from Regina's to steal the wine glass and place it on the porch beneath them then wrapped her arm around the older woman. "I got really used to being here."

Regina let her head nestle against the blonde's side in silent agreement. "Do you know where you'll be going?"

"Georgia for now," she answered.

"You won't be going overseas?" Even under her arm, Emma could feel Regina tense at the thought.

"Not that I know of."

"Good," Regina said tightly, her hand unconsciously gripping the hem of Emma's shirt into a fierce fist.

The younger woman grinned, her head placed softly on top of Regina's as she whispered. "I'm gonna really miss you."

Regina laughed lightly and pulled her head up, meeting Emma's despondent stare. "You'll still write to me." It was a fact that neither woman could deny.

"Bossy," the blonde teased with a twitch of her lip.

With a pinch to Emma's side, Regina shook her head. "I'll miss you too."

Like magnets, they were drawn to one another, their mouths meeting in the middle as they kissed softly. "I'm really gonna miss that," Emma said breathlessly.

Regina smirked against her lips before pressing one more firm kiss of a promise against pink lips. "You have your calling card? Henry's expecting phone calls from you."

"Just Henry?"

"I suppose I'd like to check in as well."

Emma grinned and nodded. "With my personal items."

"Good." Without another thought, Regina pressed her hands against the sides of Emma's face and pulled the blonde to her, kissing her so suddenly she gasped at the shock. Her surprise was only temporary for her hands found Regina's waist, all but hoisting the brunette into her lap.

Jesus, had they actually waited this long to do this? For a brief moment, Emma thought she deserved a medal for restraining herself against the seductive powers of Regina Mills, but truth be told, if she was forced to wait a hundred years just for the chance of kissing this woman then she would damn well wait.

A moan sounded between them, vibrating against both sets of eager lips though neither woman knew the source. When Emma felt the tip of a tongue dance along her bottom lip, she opened happily, gasping as Regina's tongue played with the roof of her mouth, stroking insistently and filled with promise. Emma couldn't help but grin against red lips because even if she had Regina for only a few more hours, knowing she did have her, knowing she could kiss her whenever she liked, knowing she was part of their lives, that was enough to make her giddy.