House Arrest

My writing muse must be bored, because I have the urge to write all these new ideas! I hope you like this one shot that I thought would be a fun little side project (and a fun read for you)! Hope you enjoy!

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Granny's diner was rather full for a Monday morning. Waitresses rushed to and fro from full tables to put in orders, the kitchen wafted smoke and the smell of fresh breakfast, Granny barked orders behind the counter like an army general, and diners had to talk over the noise to be heard.

Meanwhile at the Swan-Mills table, the only sounds heard were the scraping of silverware on plates. Henry sat next to his adopted mother Regina, his biological mother Emma across the table in her own booth. He glanced between the two women as he sipped on his apple juice and tried to concentrate on the latest issue of the Wolverine comic he had picked up from the library.

Emma was pretending to read the paper; it was obvious she wasn't reading it at all, judging from the not so sneaky looks across the table. Regina was staring out the window in disinterest, sipping her cup of tea—one of many she would drink that day. The silence was deafening to the young teen sitting between them, despite the fact that he should be used to it by now.

After all, it had been this way since Emma arrived in their sleepy town of Storybrooke nearly 5 years ago. His two mothers had been at each other's throats for the first good while, but ultimately had decided to tolerate each other for their son. It was an appreciated gesture, but it didn't make it any less awkward for him. He wanted a normal family breakfast for once in his life.

"So Henry," Emma broke the silence first over a bite of French toast. "Got anything interesting going on at school today?"

Henry shrugged and reluctantly set his comic down. At least she was attempting to start a conversation. "Other than a math test it's gonna be a normal day. Band will be fun I guess—Nic and I have a surprise waiting for Mrs. McNulty which should make that period fun at least." He smiled mischievously as Emma gave him a knowing smile.

His other mother didn't think it was so funny. "Have I not taught you to respect your elders, young man? That nice teacher is sharing her passion with you while also teaching you a skill you'll be able to use later in life. I'm appalled that you would think to pull a nasty prank on someone innocent."

Henry rolled his eyes. "God Mom, it's fine. I don't think I'll ever play the trumpet again in my life after I graduate. She deserves it after making us stay five minutes after the bell and making me late for sixth period anyway. And for what? Being flat on a couple notes."

Regina looked as though she wanted to smack him. He shifted away from her and shoved a mouthful of eggs in his mouth to distract himself. Emma chuckled with the shake of her head. "Sometimes I miss high school. Pranks were fun back then, even if all the teachers hated me because of it."

Regina's head snapped up; her brown eyes narrowed into slits. Henry nearly choked on his mouthful of food. Emma was gonna be in for it now. "You condone this behavior? Of course—I should have known. I suppose you're the one giving him ideas too?"

"No!" Emma defended herself, her voice rising in anger. "Look, it's just a harmless prank. Generationally speaking, it's how the world is now." She gestured to Henry who quickly opened up his comic book again. "Henry maintains good grades and he gets along well with his classmates. With everything he has been through these past five years, he deserves to have a little fun."

"Your idea of fun, Miss Swan, is vastly inappropriate!"

"It's not my idea!"

Henry rolled his eyes and glanced at the clock. Just a few more minutes and he would be free of his mothers' bickering. If it wasn't one thing, it was always another. Arguing over the food he ate, clothes he wore, what college he would be attending when the time came. And if they weren't fighting over him, they always found an excuse to fight over something else. Every single morning.