The faint fumblings in his room one door down had Regina locating him quite quickly. It sounded as if he himself was just waking, rustling the sheets as he stretched out. Henry was smart, and she wouldn't put it past him to devise over-the-top schemes to get what he wanted. He was her son, after all. If he was beginning to be manipulative now, god help her when he was older and held more forethought than instant gratification for toys and candy.
"I know you're awake."
Emma's gruff voice made Regina stiffen. She felt as if she had been caught, though for what she wasn't sure. It's not like Emma could read her mind. Instead, Regina peaked an eye open, finding the blonde still on her back though her head was turned facing Regina. Green eyes were nearly red, sore from the constant wakings of the night, though Emma looked quite awake as ever with her ever present smirk on her face. Regina popped open her other eye and offered a small grin, grimacing at the dryness of her mouth as she coughed to clear her throat. "Good morning."
"Morning."
Regina took a moment, smiling bashfully at the blonde before wiping her face into her pillow and stretching her back, feeling the blissful crack between her shoulder blades. Sated, she nestled onto her side and worried her lip, knowing Emma had been watching her every movement. "I apologize for last night," she said softly.
Emma furrowed her brow in confusion. "What part?"
"The part where my son was so hyperactive and refused to show us any mercy." Regina's cheeks had flushed pink that made the blonde chuckle.
"Life of a mother, I'm sure," Emma grinned. She paused momentarily in thought before voicing quietly, "for a second I thought you were gonna apologize for our..."
Regina shook her head and answered quietly. "No, I very much enjoyed that."
Emma's smile could have rivalled the rising sun, and Regina had to visibly look away before the blush could rise fully to her cheeks.
"So where is the trouble maker?"
Regina turned back to Emma with a curious brow before softening in understanding. "He's in his room."
"How can you tell?"
"Can't you hear him?" She pushed up onto her elbows and turned her head so her left ear was tuned toward Henry's room. "He's slipping out of bed."
Emma scrunched up her face, staying completely still to listen to what Regina had apparently heard, but the strained expression on the soldier's face had Regina chuckling.
She leaned closer to Emma, trying to direct the blonde's ear. "See?" She asked quietly as the soft sounds of floorboard creaking reached Regina's ear. "He's heading into his toy chest."
Emma continued to scrunch up her face but heard nothing.
"He's selected a toy, and now I imagine he's dropped to the floor and has begun playing." It was less than thirty seconds before Regina laughed softly to herself, and it was then Emma heard his door open and another one slam close. "And that would be him rushing to the potty."
"That's crazy sonic hearing you've got there," Emma commented.
"When your child is quiet, that is when you should be concerned," Regina said with a wry smile.
They smiled softly before Emma closed the gap between them and used her hand closest to Regina to poke the brunette's forearm. "We should do last night again sometime."
"The restless nights?"
"Sometimes restless nights have their benefits," Emma said with a smirk.
Regina bit her tongue and gauged Emma's expression. When the blonde didn't amend her statement, though there was the slightest hint of a controlled blush, Regina allowed herself to grin, shaking her head toward her pillow to partially hide her pleased reaction.
"But I mean hanging out. Just us," Emma clarified.
Regina faced Emma again, this time letting her own hand slither over to Emma's and letting their pinkies clasp. "I'd like that."
Regina couldn't help but remain locked in Emma's gaze. The events from what almost happened last night were still too fresh in her mind, and Regina wondered, perhaps if Emma was feeling it too. She hadn't pulled away when Regina entwined their fingers together, and she could have sworn Emma was just as trapped as she. This was a precarious situation, that much was true, but Regina couldn't help but feel exhilarated from it.
Before another thought could float through Regina's mind, she felt Emma tug her down, a 'shhh' hissed from pink lips as Regina was pulled onto Emma's shoulder.
"Pretend to sleep," Emma urged.
It was the soft pitter-patter of Henry's footie pyjamas down the hall that had Regina realizing Emma's intent. Without much thought, Regina shut her eyes, only realizing as Henry slammed the door open that she was all but nestled in the crook of Emma's neck like those ridiculous romantic comedies. She tried to be upset about the fact, but with Emma's muscled arm nestled around her shoulders, Regina fell into the younger woman's warmth with ease.
The two women evened their breathing at the last moment as Henry stopped from bursting into the room. When he noticed their apparent sleeping form, Regina heard him close the door ever so quietly, giving it a shush when the hinges decided to creak. She imagined him tip toeing to the bed, doing his best to remain quiet as he struggled to climb onto the queen. Her chest rose quickly in her attempt to hold in her snort when Henry audibly 'oofed' as he toppled onto the duvet. It was Henry's wiggling into the tight space between Emma and Regina that had Regina releasing her laugh as Henry squeezed his head from below in between the two women. His head knocked into Regina's jaw, but after a content sigh, he settled in between them. Regina peaked an eye open to see Henry with his eyes shut. She felt a gaze on her to see Emma staring at her with a smirk, and with a silent agreement, they both attacked Henry with tickles and kisses.
He squealed, kicking his feet so the duvet bunched about their legs. He tucked his chin into his neck, but Regina zeroed in under his arms while Emma attacked his belly. His laughter filled the room that bright Saturday morning, and for the briefest second, Regina was content with the fact that Henry was happy, laughing in her bed where she and Emma lay. The feeling passed when Henry squirmed away from his mother, but all that did was put him closer to Emma who wrapped a leg around him and blew raspberries on his cheeks.
"Stop!" He gasped, rolling onto his stomach to scurry away. He managed to pull the covers over him and crawl to the foot of the bed, a giggling lump shaking happily by Emma and Regina's feet. "Can't get me now."
"Oh, really?" Emma questioned as she and Regina sat up. With a conniving smirk, Emma threw off the covers while Regina grabbed hold of Henry around the middle. It was easy for he was curled into a ball on his knees with his hands placed over his head.
He screamed happily as Regina pulled him against her chest and sat up with him in her lap. "You're funny, Mommy," Henry praised, fighting off Regina's tickling fingers.
"You're funny, Henry," Regina mimicked sincerely before placing a kiss on her son's cheek to calm him down. "And where were you this morning?"
"I sleep in my room 'cause Mommy and Emma are too hot," he explain matter of fact.
"But you missed the snuggles this morning," Emma said with a feigned pout, sitting against the headboard beside the brunette.
"You snuggle with Mommy?" He asked the blonde. The question made Emma turn a light shade of pink before Regina interrupted, her own coy grin subtly directed at the younger woman before speaking seriously with her son. "Yes. No Henry's allowed."
It was a bold move on Regina's part to suddenly press herself against Emma's side. A month ago the thought of such carefree behaviour was unimaginable, but as of late she found herself more compelled to do so, to let herself go. So she teased her son and snuggled into Emma's arm. The blonde caught on quickly, almost automatically, and wrapped around the older woman with a playful smirk directed at the boy. "Yeah, no Henry's allowed," she chanted.