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The way Emma figured it, they weren’t hiding that they were dating. Not exactly. It was just that it was personal and not anybody’s business. And everybody in town was so nosy and always butting in where they didn’t belong about everything. Plus, her parents would probably be super weird about the whole “dating their mortal enemy” thing. They all seemed like they were getting along these days, but were they, really? And the conversation with Henry just seemed way too awkward to even consider.
No, it was better that they were keeping things to themselves.
And, they were pretty good at just acting normal, if she did say so herself. They had become good friends over the years, after all. And successful co-parents. There were regular family dinners and outings. The mayor and the sheriff needed to consult regularly on important town business, too. So there was nothing to make anybody suspicious, even when she stayed at Regina’s place until late or even overnight.
Emma liked the mornings best, and not just because Regina made amazing apple cinnamon pancakes for her sometimes on the weekends. There was just something about seeing Regina with bed hair scowling her way toward the coffeemaker that made her melt. Every time.
“Emma, where’s the coffee?”
Regina’s voice was so sexy anyway, and with that extra early morning huskiness? Even better.
It took her a moment to realize Regina was looking at her expectantly, and she hadn’t really listened to the words rather than the sound of her voice.
It took another moment to realize Regina was standing next to the empty coffee cannister. And then she put two and two together and winced, because she was supposed to bring some when she came over last night.
“Shit. Um-”
“You forgot,” Regina said more than asked.
“Yeah.” Then she had an idea. “Hey, let me take you guys out for breakfast to make it up to you? I know you like it when somebody else does the cooking.”
“Especially when it’s not you,” Regina said, still scowling. “I can’t believe you forgot it.”
“I’m sorry.” With a glance at the kitchen door, she chanced a quick kiss.
That softened Regina’s expression.
“Alright, you can take us to breakfast. But you have to be the one to wake Henry up.”
**
On one hand, walking into Granny’s as a family felt pretty nice, and Emma wondered if there might come a day when they could just be open about things. On the other hand, they were not open about things right now, and there were way too many people here who might wonder why they’d come in together. It certainly hadn’t helped that Henry was at that age where it took a crowbar to get him out of bed before noon and they were well into brunch hours by the time they’d made it out the door. Looking across the busy diner, she spotted one last open booth and made a beeline for it.
She was just steps away when her mother and father slid into it.
Snow lit up. “Emma! Join us for brunch.”
“Oh, I was- Henry and Regina.” She gestured vaguely over her shoulder.
“They should come too, silly!”
And so in the next moment Emma found herself sitting in the booth across from her parents. Henry had taken the inside and Emma was pressed against Regina. She liked being pressed against Regina, but not when she could feel her vibrating with annoyance at the entire thing.
It didn’t take long to look over the menus and decide. Then they chatted about the weather. Henry told his grandparents what he’d been up to at school lately.
They had just taken a turn into talking about the latest goings-on at the sheriff’s station when Regina asked, “Why hasn’t anyone come to take our order?”
“They are really busy today,” Snow said cheerily.
“They haven’t even brought us coffee.” Regina’s tone was tart.
Glancing around, Emma realized Ruby was the only employee in sight, and she was trapped behind the counter by the long line.
“Somebody must be on break or something. I’ll go get it,” Emma volunteered.
“You don’t have to do that,” Regina said.
“It’s no problem. Ruby never minds me grabbing things as long as it’s fast,” Emma said. Then she leaned in and murmured, “It’s my fault we’re even here. And I don’t want to bet on how long you can tolerate Snow without coffee.”
Regina swallowed a chuckle and Emma slid out of the booth.
Nodding at Ruby as she slipped behind the counter, she quickly poured three mugs of coffee and two cups of ice water. She’d taken two steps back toward the table when she realized she had forgotten something. Turning back, she reached over the counter to grab two sugar packets and added them to the blue mug. Regina liked to pretend she drank her coffee black because she thought it made her look like more of a hardass, but Emma knew about her secret vice. She smiled about it a little to herself as she brought the drinks back to the table.
She passed the blue mug to Regina and the other two to her parents, then set down the waters for Henry and herself.
“How do you know how Regina takes her coffee?” Snow asked, suddenly watching Emma like a hawk as she sat down.
“What do you mean?”
“I saw you add sugar to the one for Regina.”
“Well, I- we have coffee sometimes.” She turned to Regina, trying to be casual about it. “It’s two sugars, right?” That sounded casual, didn’t it?
Regina nodded and took a sip.
“And you two were whispering about something earlier.”
“It’s an inside joke,” Emma said. She tried to change the subject. “So, David, what were you saying about the new uniforms?”
But Snow was looking intensely at Regina. “And Emma stayed over at your house three times last week.”
“Annual reports are due and we worked so late that it wasn’t safe for her to drive home,” Regina replied levelly. “It isn’t as though I don’t have space.”
There, that should end it. Emma took a breath to start a new topic, but the expression of triumph on Snow’s face felt supremely dangerous.
“Emma, why is your hand resting on Regina’s knee under the table?”
Emma moved it like she’d been burned. “I- well- uh-”
“Your hand was on her knee and neither one of you even noticed,” Snow said. “Not until I said something. You two are dating.”
“No, of course not, where would you get that idea?” “Don’t be absurd. What a ridiculous idea.”
Them denying it was only making Snow’s smile grow. “You are. Don’t try to deny it.”
Emma looked at Regina, and Regina clenched her jaw, then nodded. Their time of keeping things a secret had run out.
“Yes.”
**
The reaction to the news that they were dating proved that their instincts to keep it quiet had been right on target, because everybody in town was exactly as inappropriately involved in their business as they’d feared.
“I can’t believe you are dating that woman. She murdered your grandfather!”
“Well isn’t that just the best revenge on Snow White imaginable, dearie.”
“So, is Regina as hot in the sack as she seems? If you two ever want a man to spice things up . . .”
“I just don’t approve of your lifestyle.”
“These people need to get hobbies,” Emma muttered.
“These people need to get acquainted with my fireball,” Regina corrected, and Emma half agreed with her.
Their family was better, though not by much.
“What about these bridesmaid dresses? Emma? Emma! Why are you walking away?”
“Well you see, Emma, the secret to keeping a woman happy is-”
“You weren’t fooling me, moms. But just, keep the mushy stuff to yourself the way you were before, okay?”
But when, the next Saturday, Emma was able to walk into Granny’s holding Regina’s hand, and slide an arm around her in the booth as they listened to Henry excitedly tell them about his latest story? It was absolutely worth it.