Andante, Andante: Please Don't Let Me Down

Chapter Twenty Two

A thundering repetitious knock beats down against my door, but my bones have reached their limit of exhaustion. So, I cuddle further into the thick air radiating heat and hum my appreciation. The pounding continues though, ignorant to my needs and provokes the warmth I'm absorbing to shift away.

"Moms?" Henry's timid muffled voice squeezes itself through the hard wood separating us. "I-uh..." his words die on his tongue and I can just picture him out in the hall shifting his weight from one foot to the other while nervously rubbing the back of his neck.

I groan while stretching out my stiff muscles and grimace when I notice how sticky my face feels from all the tears that were determined to pour out of me last night. I know Regina is still cuddling up beside me, I woke up several times in the middle of the night to find her clinging to me like a security blanket.

Ever so subtly, conscious not to disturb her, I maneuver onto my side and blink away the sleep clinging to my long lashes. There's still a very prominent pout still molding her lips and forcing them to stretch forward with a small crease in her forehead informing me that she's still worrying, even in her sleep.

I reach through the delicate space between us and brush the back of my fingers against her smooth cheek, creating a soft moan to rattle in her chest. My lips curl into a gentle smile from that adorable sound and suddenly I find myself leaning forward to kiss away that sexy pout. My lips are stiff and dried out from all the salty tears, but that doesn't stop me from stealing a tender kiss from her plump flesh.

"Uh, Moms?" Henry shyly calls out again while his knuckles tap against the door.

Regina groans softly, but her lips move to meet mine for a delicate kiss that flips the switch to the furnace in my heart, spreading tingling warmth throughout my bloodstream. I break apart the kiss when I hear Henry's voice once again.

"Yeah, kid?" I croak out through my froggy voice, still sore from the harsh sobs that wracked my body.

"Uh...I didn't want to just...walk in..." he begins stammering while I brush my knuckles against Regina's flushed cheek once again.

"It's time for us to get up," I whisper into her ear for only her, but she just groans and buries her face into the crook below my chin. My fingers move to their own accord, tangling through her knots while I shake my head, stifling a giggle. "I know you're not sleeping," I muse, but I'm also not breaking apart from our loving embrace.

"Moms!"

"There's nothing for you to worry about," I shout over Regina's head. "You can come in if you want," I acknowledge so he understands that nothing inappropriate occurred last night. I lower my voice and lean into Regina's ear. "Okay, now its time to get up before our son finds us in a compromising position," I declare, but she just moans and places a small kiss against my chest. "Don't be a brat," I tease and lightly swat her outer thigh.

The door handle clicks and that's the key to motivate Regina to spring to life. She sits up elegantly, wiping the sleep from her eyes and rests her back against the headboard, attempting to comb out her unruly hair with her fingers. I chuckle to myself and slowly slide myself up in bed just as the door swings open.

"Good morning, Henry," Regina greets our son through her sleep induced voice, still hoarse and raspier than ever from her tears as well.

"Good morning, kid."

"Hey," he slowly strolls into the room, anxiously shoving his hands into his coat pockets while his eyes flick everywhere but in our direction.

"Going somewhere?" I question when I notice his winter ensemble.