In the same universe as 'Better Option,' 'Wickedly Evil Fire Starter,' 'Rumors and Mutual Self Destruction,' 'She has Her Cake,' 'A Touch of Blackmail,' and 'Keep Score.'

Characters aren't mine. They belong to ABC, Disney, and other assorted entities of importance. I gain nothing from writing these stories but the fun of doing it. Please don't sue me.

"Why is it that I continue to learn new and interesting things about you," Emma asked with a small smirk as she pushed herself from the doorway of the kitchen and sauntered toward the island.

"How long have you been there," Regina asked in a voice somewhere between completely surprised, embarrassed, and annoyed.

"Since the verse that starts with 'Lately I'm beginning to find that I should be the one behind the wheel," the blonde said with an overly nonchalant shrug she was sure would annoy the other woman even more.

It clearly worked. The brunette narrowed her eyes, crossing her arms and giving a little huff. "Voyeur."

The sheriff shrugged again. "I've been called worse." She picked up an apple from the bowl sitting on the island and began to shine it against her shirt front. "How come you never told me you could sing, Regina?"

The older woman rolled her eyes. "Why is it that you still insist on sneaking up on people who are doing nothing more than cooking dinner?"

"Oh, come on, you cannot get mad at me for walking into the kitchen for a snack and finding you singing to yourself. I have no control over what you do in the kitchen." Emma added with an overly dramatic sigh, "Unfortunately."

"What exactly is that supposed to mean," Regina shot back, eyes narrowing even more.

"It means that sometimes I really wish you'd let me make out with you in the kitchen like we used to do. I mean, the kid's got to be desensitized to catching us making out by now, so why can't we go back to the kitchen? I mean," the blonde lowered her voice to a sultry purr, "have I mentioned how much I like backing you up against the cabinets, pushing you up onto the countertop while I run my hand up your thigh and under your skirt to your…"

"Yes, you have mentioned that a few times, as I recall," the mayor cut in, face flushing a touch. "If you came in here for a snack, I suggest you wait a bit longer. Dinner will be ready in about thirty minutes."

"That is forever from now, and I'm starving." Emma tossed the apple and caught it, swinging it down to take a big bite while she held the brunette's eyes just to make sure she didn't miss the eye roll she knew she was going to receive.

"As always, your sense of time is off. Forever," Regina began to slowly cross the room, allowing her voice to fall down into the range that always sent shivers down the sheriff's spine, "is a very," she husked out, stopping beside the other woman and leaning firmly into Emma's personal space, "very," she purred running her nose along the younger woman's jawline from her ear to just beside the corner of slightly parted lips, "long time," she finished before running her tongue along the corner of Emma's mouth, taking in the remnants of the juice from the apple that lingered there.

The younger woman fumbled the apple in her hand, not even caring as it fell onto the island's top with a thud.

Regina gave a dark, throaty laugh. "Something the matter, dear?"

"Yeah," Emma said, eyes rapidly blinking but body completely frozen, "I think you just short-circuited my brain."

Giving a thoughtful hum, the brunette leaned forward to place a soft kiss on the younger woman's cheek before pulling back and walking over to continue her work on the salad. "You should probably clean up the mess you just made, and don't waste that apple. If you're not going to eat it, then you should at least put it away until you're ready for it."

"Really?" The sheriff let a growl roll off the back of her throat. "You're just going to work me up like that and then just… just… go back to making a salad? Seriously? Just like that?" She snatched the apple from its resting place and headed to the fridge. "You know, I could say the same thing to you."

Regina barely looked up from her work. "What's that, dear?" She made a mocking sound, clicking her tongue at the other woman. "You think I should clean up my mess? Is that that it? Well, I assure you, I have no intention of letting anything I've started go to waste and every intention of eating my dessert later." She smirked. "Perhaps I should put you in the fridge along with that apple? I'd hate to let you go to waste before I was ready for you."

Emma let her forehead fall against the cool front of the closed fridge door. "I really hate you sometimes. Do you know that?"

"As I've always told you, good things come to those who wait, and, besides," the older woman said with a wicked gleam in her eye, "it is so much more fun to work you up and make you wait for it. Seeing you squirm is one of the highlights of my day."

"You know, there are people who wouldn't put up with your abuse." Emma turned, leaning against the fridge and crossing her arms.

"True," Regina conceded with a shrug, "but you're a masochist by nature."

The sheriff glared at the other woman. "I am not!"

"The fact you continue to insist on Snow, Charming, Henry, you, and I all having dinner together on a weekly basis is evidence to the contrary," the brunette countered dryly.

"That's not masochism. That's hours of entertainment for me and the kid."

"Charming," Regina deadpanned as she began to make the vignette for the salad.

"Okay, I refuse to take this abuse," Emma whined, a pout on her face. "I'm going upstairs until it's time for dinner."

"Fine. It'll be about 15 minutes, perhaps less." Checking the roast in the oven, Regina nodded to herself. "Less," she confirmed before turning around to catch Emma's eye. "If you go upstairs and take care of my dessert before I have the chance, you'll have none of your own for a week."

"I… what? No," the blonde held her hands up in a show of innocence. "Nooooo. I wouldn't… I mean, I wasn't planning on…" She winced at the disbelieving look on the brunette's face. "I really hate you."

"Fifteen minutes, dear. That's just enough time for you to set the table and fetch Henry from upstairs."

Emma grunted, rushing the older woman and pushing her against the cabinet, careful not to knock anything over for their upcoming meal. Settling her hands on either side of the counter and effectively pinning the brunette, the sheriff let a dark smirk cross her face. "I'm at least getting a kiss," she stated in a raspy, needy voice.

Regina gave a knowing smirk. "Is that so?" She tilted her head, lowering her eyes to quickly have a glimpse of the other woman's lips.

"Yeah, that's happening," the blonde growled before leaning in and desperately kissing Regina, who responded by running a hand up the sheriff's body and into her hair while she hooked the index finger of her free hand through a belt loop.

They breathlessly pulled apart. Regina tugged on the belt loop, forcing Emma to lean in closer, as she pulled the younger woman down for another heated kiss. She played with the sheriff's lips, pulling a lower lip between her teeth and biting down before letting it go to deeply kiss the blonde.

Emma's hands ran over the mayor, following the perfect curves she was so familiar with yet still entranced by. With a quick motion, she used both hands to hoist the brunette up onto the countertop, careful not to break their connection, and, when Regina tilted her head to expose the length of her neck, Emma was all too happy to take the invitation. She bit down, eliciting a groan from the other woman, before locking her lips over the pulse point there.

Regina's breath caught in her throat, her mind registering there would be a bruise on her neck but not caring in the least. She wrapped her arms around the younger woman's back, once again tangling her hands in the blonde's hair as she wrapped her legs around Emma's waist. She groaned at the sensation of lips and teeth moving expertly across her neck and jawline, her mind a blurry haze of need and want.

"Oh my god, really? I thought you two were banned from doing this in the kitchen." Henry's voice cut through the air, causing both women to jump and pull awkwardly away from each other.

"Henry!" Regina's flush turned to a furious blush as she tried to straighten her clothes.

Emma scowled, irritated at having her fun interrupted. "Kid!"

Their son returned the scowl, rolling his eyes for added effect. He sighed heavily. "Seriously, you two have a room for that."

"Hey, we have all the rooms for that," Emma corrected as she crossed her arms and continued to glare at him.

"Okay, too much information. Don't tell me," he held up a hand and made a face. "I don't want to know."

"Henry," Regina began, her voice still a little shaky, "I sincerely hope you don't think that we…"

"No, really, please don't put that mental picture in my head." He pulled another face to show how gross he thought the whole thing was. "No kid wants to think about their parents doing… stuff." He made a gagging face. "It's just gross."

For a few minutes, the two women said nothing, trying to pull themselves together as they watched their son make his way to the fridge and pull out a drink. "So," he said nonchalantly after taking a sip. "When are you going to move in, Emma?"

His blonde mother's eyes widened in shock. "What?"

"Uh, hello? It's not like you're not here every single day, which is why I gave up asking where we were going to spend the night. I just stay here all the time because I'm not staying at Gram and Gramp's place alone. I'd rather walk in on my moms making out than have to listen to the baby crying all the time." He wrinkled his nose up in disgust. "And messy diapers are really disgusting."

"You know, you were once a crying baby boy with messy diapers," Regina commented in a much more composed, if not teasing voice. "I recall many nights staying up to all hours because you wouldn't stop crying, and your diapers weren't any less messy."

Henry blushed. "Ew."

"Ew, indeed," she said as she gave Emma a look that said she was going in for the kill. "Equally as 'ew' was having to learn which direction you tended to pee when you decided I was taking too long to change your diaper. I must say, your aim has actually gotten worse as you've gotten older."

"Oh my god, Mom!" Henry turned a deep red as both his mothers chuckled.

"She's got you there, kid," Emma said between snickers.

"Well, now that we're all equally embarrassed, perhaps you two would go set the table while I cut the roast?" Regina turned to the oven, opening the door to pull the roast out.

Emma groaned but grabbed the salad and some other items, leaving the room in a huff.

As Regina set the roast on a board to cool, she called out over her shoulder. "Henry?"

He stopped short of the doorway leading to the dinner room, plates in hand. "Yeah, Mom?"

"I'll ask her to move in tonight."

He smiled, face full of pride and approval. "Cool."

Thank you for reading. As always, reviews are appreciated.