Making Exceptions (swanqueen)

Chapter 8: Mashed Potatoes and Parmesan

The tears welled up in her eyes as she looked down at her son, "Baby? What do you say about meeting Momma's new friend tonight?"

"Is he nice?" the boy asked.

"She is very nice, Sweetie." Regina corrected his use of pronouns so that she didn't confuse the little boy.

"Will she play dinos with me?" he asked seriously.

"If you ask nicely, I'm sure she would."

"Then what are you waitin fo' Momma?" He giggled with his mother when she finally understood his question.

"I have no idea, Baby. No idea."

Regina looked at her son. Am I doing this too quickly? Will he hate me if things happen between Emma and I? She sighed. Right now was not the time for negative thinking.

Instead, she picked up her cell phone, calling the blonde in question.

After a few rings, a breathless voice came through the speaker, "Good morning, beautiful."

The brunette flushed a bright red color, which had Henry looking up at her curiously. "Good morning, Emma." She listened as the blonde tried to catch her breath on the other end of the line, her own curiosity growing, "Emma, dear, are you alright?"

"Yeah." A gasp of air. "Why?"

"You just seem to be breathing pretty heavily, that's all," the brunette answered.

"Oh. That." Emma said, realizing what her professor was hinting at, "Well, I am-" Breath. "Out running. About to-" Another. "Beat my personal best."

That brought a chuckle out of Regina. "And why did you pick up the phone, then?" she asked through her giggles.

"Because there was a beautiful woman calling me and it wouldn't help in my 'wooing' process if I ignored her call," Emma reasoned, her breath starting to come in regular intervals as she ran back up the stairs to her house and sat down on Ruby's favorite porch swing.

Regina suddenly felt shy as she whispered, "Thank you for the flowers, Emma. They're beautiful."

"They're nothing compared to you," Emma replied.

"Speaking of your so called 'wooing process,'" Regina segued, clearing her throat, "I was wondering if you still wanted to do dinner tonight?"

Emma sighed, "I'd love to, Regina, but I told M&M and Ruby that I wouldn't need the house reserved tonight and that they could hang out if they wanted. I'm really sorry, but they're in a new relationship, and I don't want to impede on their coupley time and I just-"

"Emma, dear, you're rambling," the brunette paused and listened to the blonde mumble an apology. "And if you would have let me finish, I was going to ask you to have dinner at my house. I'm no culinary major, but I do have a few tricks of my own up my sleeve."

"That's good to hear," Emma flirted before turning her tone serious. "However, I will only agree if you let me cook dinner."

"Henry and I have lived years of my cooking, and I promise you Miss Swan, my recipes are delicious, degree or not." Regina argued.

"And I believe you, Professor, but I am the one who should be wooing you. Not the other way around. Got it?"

A silence stretched between them, causing Emma to wonder if she had pushed too far and upset Regina. Before she could worry too much, though, she heard a loud sigh and pictured the professor shaking her head in defeat.

"Fine. You may cook, Emma," she relented. "That also means that you provide the ingredients. Understood?"

"Loud and clear, Professor." Regina could almost feel the smirk the blonde was wearing, knowing how the title made the brunette feel.