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Emma stands at the front door 108 Mifflin fidgeting with a bag of candy. She only hesitates for a second before knocking gently. In hindsight, she's glad that Regina had invited her to movie night instead of a date out. It was delicate, this new relationship between the two of them, and she’s more than relieved to have Henry around as a buffer. Finally the door swings open to reveal Henry dressed in Spiderman PJ’s and holding a bag of steaming popcorn.
“Emma! You’re here!”
His face lights up when he sees her and he ushers her into the house, closing the door behind her then scampering down the hallway. Emma follows with a smile. He looks happier these days, she thinks, since she and Regina called their unofficial truce. He acts more like the ten year old he is, rather than the sage like personality he seemed to take on when discussing Operation Cobra. That’s not to say he’s abandoned his mission altogether, but it no longer consumes his every thought, which is a relief.
She walks into the living room to see that Regina on the floor in front of an open cabinet with piles of VHS tapes surrounding her. She’s wearing the most casual attire Emma’s ever seen her in; a matching black pyjama set with red polka dots. She looks up when Emma enters and offers her a smile. The whole sight is so alien that Emma misses what Regina says next, until she gets a cushion to the head from Henry.
“Emma, Mom asked you whether we should watch Lion King or Aristocats.”
Emma shakes her head and drops the candy behind the couch. “Oh, sorry. Um, Lion King, definitely,” she answers quickly.
Regina rolls her eyes and begins to return the rest of the movies to their place in the cupboard. Emma only drags her eyes away from her when Henry calls out, patting the spot next to him on the couch. She sits down as Regina puts the movie in, then sits down on Emma’s other side. Henry throws a comforter over the three of them and Regina curls her legs up on the couch, still making a conscious effort not to touch Emma.
Emma is engrossed in the movie, until the stampede begins and she feels Regina tensing up beside her. When Mufasa falls to his death, Regina grabs Emma’s hand, but only for a moment before stopping herself and letting go.
Checking to make sure Henry isn’t paying attention, she turns to Regina. She murmurs, ”Have you ever seen the Lion King before?”
Regina doesn’t fully meet her eye but shakes her head, a blush, visible even in the glowing light of the screen works its way up her tanned cheeks.
Emma wordlessly reaches out under the comforter, lacing her fingers between Regina’s before turning her attention back to the movie.
To be fair, Emma never watched Disney movies too often. When your foster parents were locking you up in a closet, they didn’t usually throw in a TV and VCR. But she did have the rare parent who loved her and treated her well. She remembers being eleven years old and sitting in the movie theater for the first time, tapping her feet against the seat in front of her excitedly as she watched the Lion King. It is to this day, one of her absolute favourite movies.
That’s why when the credits begin rolling, Emma is surprised to see that Henry is bundled up in the comforter, arms wrapped around her waist and his head on her lap, fast asleep. Even more surprising Regina has slumped onto her shoulder, still gripping her hand. She snores lightly, causing the hair across her face to flutter. Up close, Emma realizes that the red dots are actually little apples and she snorts. She doesn’t know why the mayor has such a fondness for the fruit, but it certainly doesn’t help convince Henry that she’s not the Evil Queen.
A glance at the clock on the wall tells her that it’s probably time for her to leave, but after shifting a little bit, Emma realized that she can’t get up. Regina and Henry have stretched the comforter across the couch and tucked it under themselves, creating a sort of net that keeps Emma from moving off the couch even if she could wriggle out of their grip. The more she moves, the tighter Henry and Regina latch on to her.
Finally, Emma collapses back into the cushions and resigns herself to the fact that she’ll be spending the night as a human teddy bear. She makes herself comfortable, wrapping her arms around Regina and Henry and deciding that movie night with the Mills is definitely her favourite thing about Storybrooke.