"Pull his own–he's not even in a vegetative state yet if he were, it would be impossible for him to accomplish such a feat."
"August and morphine," Emma repeated simply.
"Next time you're here unexpectedly, let me deal with August," Regina demanded, leaving no room for argument before facing the barista.
Emma smirked. "Yes ma'am."
Carrying their provisions for lunch, a grilled cheese for Henry and two club sandwiches and coffee for Emma and Regina, the women walked back to August's room, their bodies pressed together at the hip they may as well had been Siamese twins. Before stepping into the room, Regina grinned and held Emma back with an arm. "Wait here."
Cocking an eyebrow, Emma nodded, and Regina couldn't help but lean up and capture her lips one more time. They were owed to her really, and Regina was banking on cashing in as often as she could. Leaving a grinning Emma, Regina pushed into the room, Henry's sandwich and her coffee in hand which she settled on the opposite counter, placing her purse down as well. The constant whirring of the bed notified the brunette that Henry had continued to play with the magic bed, and August who was enthralled with an episode of Justice League didn't mind the jerking back and forth motion and let it be.
"I have a surprise, sweetie," she called as soon as her burdens were settled on the counter.
Henry pushed the bed all the way down until August was staring upright at the ceiling, a grimace on his face at his interrupted show. "Pizza?"
"No," she grinned.
August sat up suddenly that Regina almost moved to catch him, but he wrapped his arm around Henry and moved the bed upright. "I know," he said abruptly.
"Candy?" Henry quickly turned to look up at August, hoping for the affirmative.
August didn't answer and just wrapped one giant hand over Henry's eyes and face before grinning at Regina. "About damn time!" He cheered excitedly.
"August," Regina scolded, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Sorry." He cupped one of Henry's ears uselessly as if that alone could block out the curse he had already heard. "Don't say that, okay bud?"
Henry nodded obediently, reaching up to remove August's hand from his eyes, but the man held firm. "What is it?"
Regina smiled and walked quietly to the door, opening it to allow in an amused Emma who surely heard the conversation happening within. Pressing a finger to her lips, Regina led Emma in with a tug of her hand, and from there, the younger woman took over, depositing the sandwich and drinks she had on the counter before pressing her face nearly nose to nose with Henry's. The knowing anticipation in the room heightened as August removed his hand from the boy's face.
Immediately sensing a presence, Henry reared his head back before his eyes widened comically, his eyebrows disappearing behind his bangs as his mouth formed a perfect 'o'. His hands flew to his mouth as he gasped in surprise. "Emma!"
Without so much as a warning, Henry leaped off the bed and wrapped his arms around Emma's neck, weaving his legs around her waist in a vice-like grip as he continued to cheer excitedly, and very loudly, in the blonde's ear.
His weight was familiar is Emma's arm, but god did his hair always tickle her chin? He was the same Henry she had left nine months ago, but he had grown since then. He was sturdier, and god he was so tall, and why the hell couldn't she see his eyes? Laughing happily, she rested him into her side and used a hand to push up Henry's bangs until twin pools of golden brown stared up at her. "That's better. I was beginning to worry you were going blind."
"See?" Regina gave Henry a look as she came to sit on the edge beside the hugging pair. "You need a haircut."
Pulling back to remove Emma's hand from his hair, Henry shook his head profusely then ran a hand upward until it stuck up and out of his face. Satisfied, he stood and hopped happily on the bed with his arms raised in victory, the adults bouncing with every jump. "Emma's home! Emma's home! Emma's home!"
Emma grinned, catching Regina's eye as they both watched Henry chant and cheer. "Yeah," she said almost to herself. "I am."
Their lunch hour was filled with constant chatter as Henry moved between sitting with August as they marathoned cartoons and crawling into either Emma or Regina's lap as the women curled into the large single recliner in the room. It was surreal, this moment, as Henry insisted that Emma watch his super cool magic trick, making the bed rise and fall with sheer will. Five years ago, Regina never thought that she would be here, right now, with a son she thought she would never have, with a girlfriend she should have never met, and a quirky friend she could never get rid of. It was disorganized and unsystematic and sometimes so difficult, but they were hers and hers alone, and it was perfect.
She was happy.
As Emma oohed at Henry's impressive parlour trick, nodding in amazement when the boy let her in on the source of his wizardry, Regina smiled, shifting so that her legs tangled with Emma's as she rested her head onto sturdy shoulders. The blonde turned at the shift and returned Regina's expression, adding a light kiss to the top of her head. Their fingers found one another, lacing through the spaces until they connected instinctively, their hands squeezing in reassurance to remind the other that they were there. Together. Finally.
Regina surprisingly managed to remain cuddled up with Emma for at least three episodes of Justice League before Henry crawled off the bed and pulled Emma to her feet, proclaiming she be the one to escort him to the bathroom. He was a big boy and could do everything himself while at home, but seeing that he needed help to scoot onto the toilet and reach the sink, Emma was the lucky winner to accompany the kid.
As soon as the door shut, Regina leaned closer to August who was more lucid than he was upon her arrival since it showed in the way he winced whenever Henry leaned too heavily on his injured side.
"About time?" Regina repeated his earlier words with a raised eyebrow.
"Too long, I think," he smiled boyishly.
Regina smiled softly, her hand coming over his arm in sincerity. "Even drugged out of your mind, how are you able to play the puppet master?"
"The same way Tolkien wrote The Hobbit while on opium."
"So we're just some characters in your story?" Regina clarified bemused.
He nudged her chin. "You're better than that."
She rolled her eyes affectionately before leaning up and kissing August's temple. The man smirked but hollered a cat-call nonetheless. "Don't let your girlfriend see."
This time when Regina rolled her eyes, it was out of annoyance more than anything, but the smirk never left the man's face, and Regina wouldn't have it any other way.
The elevator dinged as it arrived on the fifth floor, its doors opening to reveal a knocked out Henry lying limply in Emma's arms and Regina rolling a small briefcase out of the elevator and into the hallway where the diamond design of the carpeted flooring made the length of the hallway look slanted than it actually was. The smell of different dishes fused in the air as grease, fish, and curry combined to create a smell so strong Regina could almost taste it and made her wrinkle her nose.
The blonde chuckled, catching the movement, and nodded her head down to the left where August's apartment was located. "You get used to it."
Regina murmured a noise of acknowledgement as they made their way to the very end of the hallway and stopped dead upon what was sitting outside August's door. "That's a cat."
"Yeah," Emma nodded, shifting Henry to one side so she could retrieve the keys August had leant her. "He's real."
The small cat that was predominantly black save for one white boot at its front right paw and a white circle around it's left eye sat on its haunches, its ears pointed up, and stared expectantly at the new humans then at the door then back again.