troubled teachers

Chapter 16

"Bloody hell," Emma murmured, rubbing her hands over her face.

In almost a daze at what had happened that night, she made her way to the bathroom, brushed her teeth and headed for her bed. She changed and crawled under the cool, crisp bedsheets. She had thought she would lie awake for hours, tossing and turning, unable to stop thinking about what had happened, but as soon as her head hit the pillow, she fell into a deep, blissful sleep.

~

Bacon.

Emma grinned as she woke up, the smell reminding her of their half term holiday. She yawned, stretched, and climbed out of bed. Emerging into the kitchen a few minutes later, Emma smiled widely at the familiar sight of Regina in the kitchen. Only this time, unlike Cornwall, the brunette was singing along to a Beyoncé track she had playing from the speakers. Emma leaned against the doorframe and watched, a smile on her face as Regina continued to sing and wiggle her hips slightly as she flipped some bacon.

"Shit!" she exclaimed when she turned around and spotted Emma at last, her hand landing on her chest as if trying to slow her now racing heart. "How long were you watching me?"

Emma laughed. "Long enough. You can sing, you know."

"Hardly comparable to Beyoncé though," Regina said, walking to the fridge to retrieve some milk. "How did you sleep?"

"Amazingly, actually," Emma said, touching the side of the kettle and pouring some still hot water into a mug with a tea bag. "You?"

"Far better than I expected," the brunette nodded. "I thought my mind would be racing after ... what happened. But it wasn't."

"Me too," Emma nodded. "And mine neither."

They smiled shyly at each other, standing side by side in the kitchen as they had so many times before. And yet now, everything was different.

"Scrambled?"

"Please."

Well, except Emma's preference for her eggs. She turned and settled herself at the dining table, pulled the Sunday morning newspaper towards her and began to read. Even with Christmas a few days away, it was depressing and she discarded an article about the troubles in Syria gratefully when a full English breakfast landed in front of her.

"Thanks," Emma smiled as Regina took a seat opposite her, two poached eggs nestled neatly on her own plate.

"So are you too hungover or are you still up for joining me and Henry?" Emma asked as she tucked into her food.

"What makes you think I'm hungover?" Regina said.

"Aren't you?"

"Well, yes but -,"

"I rest my case," Emma laughed. "So, are you going to join us?"

"Do you really want me there?" Regina asked. "Christmas shopping the weekend before Christmas itself is bad enough. Why would you want me to come as well? Surely that would just slow you guys down."

"Oh I've done all my shopping," Emma grinned. "Did it online weeks ago. No, this is for Henry. If I don't drag him along, he never buys any presents and it's his job to buy for his cousins because they're all boys and they're around his age."