The end of the world with you.

Relocation

*A/N: Regina, Emma & Andrea above^*

The sound of the dry cereal hitting the porcelain bowls roused Emma from her sleep. Her eyes opened just as the milk was being poured somewhere in the kitchen. Sleeping through the night wasn't something Emma was accustomed to. It usually required a generous amount of alcohol or sleeping pills, but she guessed the stressful events of the past couple of days had finally caught up with her. It would have felt refreshing if she didn't have to face another day that could only be described as hell.

With a sigh, Emma rubbed the remnants of sleep from her eyes and followed the sound of cutlery being pulled from drawers. There, she found Regina passing a bowl with a small heap of cereal containing a small heap of cereal to Henry. The boy sat on possibly the loudest stool in history, his legs swinging in content.

Regina glanced up, offering an uncertain apologetic expression. "Henry was hungry, but I didn't want to wake you."

Suppressing a yawn, Emma took a seat on the stool next to Henry. "I'll forgive you, but only if you make me a bowl, too." She gestured towards the opened cereal box.

Regina wordlessly reached for the cereal box. Her lips twitched, a hint of a hidden smile. She was dressed in the clothes Emma had provided the night before. She appeared different—smaller, more approachable. Her hair, fuller had a gentle curl to it that only the water and air could provide, and Emma questioned if her mouth was watering at the thought of breakfast or something else entirely.

"What happened to your face?"

Startled, Emma looked down at the small boy who had momentarily abandoned his cereal to scrutinise her face. His inquisitive expression, complete with furrowed his eyebrows and focused eyes screamed Regina. Emma hadn't thought to check her face in the mirror upon waking up, but now she found herself curious. Was the bruise that noticeable? It didn't feel severe, and she had taken enough lunches to gauge when to worry.

Glancing at the mayor, Emma found her with a frozen expression, likely uncertain of how Emma would answer.

She shrugged, "I uh, slipped in the shower and hit my face."

Reaching over the counter, she grabbed the bowl of cereal waiting for her, devoting her attention to eating in the hopes the subject would be dropped. But, after all, this was Regina's son, and the questions didn't stop there, "On what?"

Emma winced, "On the shower head?"

The boy tilted his head, and for a moment seemed like he was going to call her out on her bullshit, but then shrugged and said, "You're silly, Emma."

Emma ducked her head, spooning a generous amount of cereal into her mouth, and met Regina's gaze. Not much was revealed, but a subtle softening in her gaze told her appreciated the effort to conceal last night's events.

As the sound of crunching filled the air, both Henry and Emma engrossed in their cereal, Regina leaned against the counter as she quietly observed her son with a look of concern and contemplation. If thoughts had a volume, Emma might have caught the 'what ifs' swirling in Regina's mind.

Emma gestured toward the neglected cereal box, "Are you not going to eat?" Regina raised her eyebrows, ready to respond, but Henry chimed in before she could.

"She doesn't eat breakfast," Henry stated matter-of-factly.

"What, ever?"

He shook his head, and crinkled his nose in exaggerated disgust, "She has coffee."

Emma couldn't help but chuckle, Regina raised an elegant eyebrow, giving Henry an amused look. Their playful banter was interrupted by the approaching footsteps of Andrea, who entered the tiny kitchen area in the loft.