Work Text:
*Mew*
*Mew*
“Oh, goddamnit. I just fed you, don’t start.” Emma Swan adored kittens, but they acted like they’d never see food again the minute she brought them inside Regina’s picture-perfect home. 108 Mifflin had always looked spectacular, but it had certain homey touches to it that it hadn’t when it was only Regina and Henry occupying the huge building. Emma felt butterflies in her stomach, grinning to herself as she giggled at a particularly chubby fuzzball that happened to look offended at her telling it to hush.
I live here. This is my home now, too. Soon, it will be yours, kitties.
Emma had brought in certain thrifted antiques that were rustic enough to please her devil-may-care decorating sense only when she was certain that her relationship with Regina wasn’t going to end. She knew Regina was thinking about proposing, and Emma was never one for settling down until they’d been together for well over a year. Henry was about to turn 15, and a royal pain in the ass (Emma chuckled: See what I did there, kitties? Technically, we’re all royalty.)
Fortunately, her tempermental teenage son had his grandfather’s weakness: Cute animals.
“Aw! Ma! You brought kittens!”
“Shh! I’m going to go dump them on your mom.”
“Uhm. Angry tiny cats dumped on her 400 thread count sheets don’t sound like a good idea.”
“Okay, well...Maybe...Gently tumble them. Jeez, kid. It’s a box of kittens, how apeshit could Gina possibly go?”
“Nuclear.”
“Damnit.” Emma balanced the squirming box up all 24 stairs (she counted) and managed to open the door by kicking it.
“Henry, I said after your homework, you can go to Grace’s.” Regina was clearly still half asleep. Emma tipped the box gently onto the foot of the bed, three fluffy kittens scrambling up Regina’s side. The reaction was instant.
“What?!” the brunette blinked, staring at the mewling balls of fur prancing around their queen size bed.
“I uh--Dad called. Someone ditched them last week. They’ve been de-wormed, fixed, and have no more fleas. He said somebody left them in the woods, but a good samaritan brought them over to us. You're lucky. Dad ended up with FOUR because of Neal and Ma begging him.”
“Sounds familiar. Orphans, huh?” Regina had picked up a black and gray fluffball that was purring so loudly Emma could hear it from across the room. That same kitten had clawed Emma’s hand to shreds not 8 hours previously. Suck-Up. She thought at the cat.
“Yeah. Orphans.” Emma said, looking at her shoes.
“Well, we do certianly need to teach our son some responsibility--and his little sister will LOVE them when she gets home from daycare.” Emma smirked. Colette was smitten with all things fluffy, and at half-day kindergarten with Katherine’s twins. In terms of surprises, Emma knew that kittens didn’t hold a candle to the surprise it had been when Regina found out she was pregnant with Emma’s kid. They had been in no rush to get married, (True Love kind of made people quit gossiping--one thing Emma was happy for that wouldn’t have held water anywhere else in the world.)
“They’re awfully cute. Should we keep them, then?”
“Yeah, Mom! I mean, c’mon. I think that one likes you.” Henry had appeared and his massive teenage foot was getting the shoelaces destroyed by the orange kitten that had jumped off the bed.
“All right, all right. Kittens. I suppose there’s worse ways to wake up.” This is my home. Emma smiled, patting Henry on the shoulder and sitting on the edge of the bed next to Regina as the third kitten climbed up her back, perching on her shoulder.
“Oh, great, a parrot.” The laughter ringing through the house was infectious. When Colette got home, her squeals of delight were the icing on the cake. A few years ago the ‘Evil Queen’ would have scoffed at the thought of Emma Swan delivering her a box of kittens. They’d all come very far, indeed.