Chapter Text
On Sunday afternoons, Regina finally allows herself to unwind before the inevitable shitstorm that comes every Monday. Sometimes this means ordering a pizza for dinner instead of fixing a full meal for herself and Henry. Sometimes it means pouring herself an extra glass of wine or two after that dinner. With Henry away camping with David for the next week, this Sunday means a leisurely bubble bath and the full bottle of wine.
Rolling her neck to relieve the week’s worth of tension settled there, Regina sunk deeper into the warmth of her tub and stretched her body out.
This summer had been a particularly warm one for Storybrooke, and anything remotely outside the norm always sent the town in a tizzy, leaving the Mayor’s office to calm them. The Sheriff had done her part in maintaining the peace, but the flood of complaints of air conditioning issues, the pond’s water levels, and utility bills skyrocketing were taking a toll on Regina’s sanity. For people who used to live in a forest with no concept of electricity, the residents in her town had become pitiful without it.
Pushing the town’s issues from her mind, the brunette inhaled deeply, breathing in the lavender and vanilla she’d included in the water, Regina closed her eyes and allowed herself a few moments of nothingness. The white noise of her air conditioning, the gentle lapping of water when she breathed, and the small ticking of a clock on her vanity lulled the mayor into a peaceful rest.
-
When Regina awoke, her bathwater had long since grown cold and the evening light that spilled through her window earlier had been replaced with darkness. Unplugging the drain and wrapping a towel around her body before stepping out of her tub, the brunette noticed the air in her en suite was muggier than usual, even beyond any humidity the bath might cause.
She padded through her room to the thermostat outside her door. Fumbling with the buttons, Regina squinted to see that the gauge was set exactly where it always was, but the temperature reading was slowly climbing higher. She jabbed the buttons to no avail.
Softly leaning her forehead against the wall, she cursed to herself. The mayor did her best not to inconvenience anyone, at least anymore. She’d allowed herself 30 some-odd-years of making demands and hardly giving out a “thank you,” and now found discomfort in putting people out. Redemption is bullshit, sometimes.
So when she looked at the clock and saw that the time was well past 11, the brunette knew she had no choice but to live in the heat for a night. Calling anyone to come fix her air conditioning at this hour would definitely fall in the realm of inconvenience. Total bullshit.
-
Every window in her room was open, her blankets had been kicked off the bed, and Regina was clad in only a sports bra and track shorts, and still she was miserable. Flicking her hand to turn on the lights, she groaned in frustration and threw her head against her pillow when the clock read 2:19. Putting up with this heat for another 6 hours made Regina want to scream. So she did. With an empty house and few neighbors, all of which had been specifically selected for their discretion and loyalty to the Evil Queen, the mayor had no concerns about anyone hearing her.
So when she heard a door slam and footsteps running up her stairs, Regina was more than a little confused. And when the footsteps continued directly to her door, her confusion dissipated as she readied her magic to conjure a fireball.
Until, “Regina, it’s me, and if you don’t respond in the next two seconds I’m kicking down this door, okay?” the voice of the sheriff filled her room and stilled the magic moving within her.
“Ms. Swan, you will absolutely not be breaking down anything in my house. Come in if you must, but please use the doorknob.” Regina said, rolling her eyes at the clearly inherited need for dramatics.
“Oh, yeah, okay,” the voice on the other side of the door was softer now, as the door handle turned and a sheepish smile and red leather jacket appeared, “sorry I was on patrol and- oh. I, um, the light- and a scream- I- I thought you were in danger.” She finished, suddenly very interested in her own shoes.
Regina saw what must have been the heat of the house catch up with the blonde as red rose to her cheeks. “No worries, Sheriff. It’s always good to hear that our citizens are safe.”
“Yep. That’s me. Keeping Storybrooke safe since, what? 2011?” Emma said, still studying the ground.
Regina stood from the bed, concern and confusion etched across her face as she approached the blonde, “Emma, are you okay?”
“Yeah, I, um, it’s just, well, I didn’t know you owned shorts.”
Regina looked down, registering her state of undress, and smiled. “Yes, well, no exercise for 28 years might have necessitated their purchase.” When the blonde’s gaze didn’t move, she continued, “Thank you for attempting to protect my modesty, Ms. Swan, but I’m afraid it’s long gone. I once lived in a palace with your mother, and you and I both know of her aversion to knocking.”
Emma slowly lifted her head, keeping her eyes trained on the brown ones in front of her. As the earlier adrenaline rush settled, the blonde finally noticed her skin continue to flush, more so than it usually did when the brunette was around. “Have you been juggling fireballs in here, Regina? It’s fucking hot.” The blonde exhaled to emphasize the ridiculousness of the temperature.
“No, dear, I save that particular late night routine for later in the week.” Regina rolled her eyes before continuing, “My air conditioning unit seems to be acting up and I don’t understand the technology enough to fix it myself.”
“Why didn’t you call me?” Emma’s head tilted to the side and her eyebrows raised in concern.
“I wasn’t aware you were certified to operate on an HVAC unit.”
“Oh, yeah, well, I’m not. But you could’ve crashed in my apartment until you find someone who is. I’m on patrol for a few more hours, but you still can if you still wanna.”
Something hidden behind wide green eyes told Regina “no” was not going to be accepted as an answer. “Very well, dear. I suppose it wouldn’t do for the mayor to die of heat stroke in her own home, now would it.”
“I suppose not. Oh, and Regina?” Emma waited for the brunette to look up at her in response, “You’re going to put on clothes, right? I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m totally cool with it, but I’m not sure that the town would be as thrilled if citizens started dropping like flies purely out of shock.”
No one would ever believe her, but Regina “I’m a Queen and a bit more Refined” Mills stuck her tongue out at her before moving to her closet to pack a suitcase.
“What the hell have I gotten myself into.”