Modern Fairytale ~ #Wattys2015

An Air of Mystery

It was about eleven when Henry finally woke for the day, entering the kitchen with sleepy eyes and uncombed bedhead. He yawned as he approached, but his mother continued to clean the mess she made without greeting him. She knew her son needed a few minutes to adjust to civilization again after a long sleep; he definitely wasn't a morning person.

"Lasagna for breakfast? Did you have a stroke?" Henry said, the weight of sleep still heavy in his voice.

"Don't be rude just because you're cranky," she said in a stern voice before adding, "It's not for us. I thought the Locksleys might need something while they adjust to their new home."

"Well, well, well. The Evil Queen has a heart after all," Henry chuckled, rubbing his eyes through another yawn. Mallory wasn't the only one at the law firm with a hot-tempered reputation. She just wished her son never caught wind of it so he would stop using it against her at home.

"I liked you much better when you were asleep," Regina grumbled, her cheeks flushed from a mixture of the heat from the kitchen and her embarrassment at how much effort she was putting into seeing this man again.

"I'm just messing with you. I really do think it's nice. What you're doing. Especially when he's the man who pays your son," he smirked and walked over to the cereal cabinet for something light for breakfast. "If you ask me, I think you should cook for him everyday. I'm sure that will have a positive effect on my pay rate with the way you cook."

She rolled her eyes and placed a bowl and spoon out for him while he grabbed the almond milk from the fridge.

"When this is done I'm going to shower and take a trip to the market. Do you have any requests, Sire?" Two could play at his game and Regina was never one to back down. Henry chuckled, secretly enjoying the buttons he was able to press with his mother's short temper.

"I'd ask for apples, but I'm afraid you'd poison them," he said nonchalantly as he poured the milk into his bowl of Koshi cereal. She threw a sharp gaze in his direction, which he caught in his peripherals and acknowledged with a pleased laugh. "Some bananas would be nice. And I finished your secret stash of dark chocolate."

How could he possibly have found it again? She was constantly changing her hiding place to avoid this, but he was just too determined when it came to sweets. The only spot left would be her nightstand and if she kept it there, she'd eat the whole bag in one night.

She added bananas and chocolate to her list before finishing the last of her coffee. She rinsed the mug and put it in the dishwasher with the rest of the dirty dishes. The timer for the oven beeped minutes later as Henry finished his breakfast and cleaned up after himself. She removed the lasagna, enjoying the warm sensation of the heat touching her face and taking in the smell of her infamous dish. She placed it on the stove to cool and shut the appliance before removing her apron.

She leaned down and poured dishwasher liquid into the machine, closing the door and starting it once Henry's breakfast mess was stored inside. He sat on the living room couch with a plop, holding out the remote for the SmartTv to find something to watch on Netflix. His phone chimed every few minutes signaling a text message; from Grace, of course.

"What do you want me to make for dinner tonight?"

"Lasagna," he said with a smirk and Regina rolled her eyes as she removed her apron. "Actually, I was thinking about taking Grace out for dinner tonight. If that's okay with you."