This flew into my mind while I attempted to write the next chapter for MVWCT! It's a little crazy, and quite fluffy, and I think we all need that right now. (Also, it's like snap shots through out a full year) Hope you enjoy, (: Let me know what you think. Thanks for reading!

Oh, and before I forget, Emma is sixteen at the start of it, but nothing happens when she isn't legal. Regina is twenty.

AN: I don't own ONCE or any of its characters; the plot is all mine, too.

Her breath came shallow and hard as she laid in her top bunk bed staring up into the ceiling.

Her index finger was pressed down against the tiny bundle of nerves, and her middle digit was lazily sliding in between her slick folds as she fought to contain a whimper.

Her other hand was held tightly against her mouth just to keep herself from crying out.

"Are you quite sure, Kat?"

The blonde stilled her hand as she heard soft voices outside her door in the hallway. She quickly jumped in surprise, and pulled the covers completely over herself when the door opened a tad bit, and light shone into the room.

"Yeah, Emma won't mind!" Her sister whispered quickly, "And anyways, she's sleeping Regina," she heard Katherine chuckle softly.

"I wish we were still teenage girls; otherwise, we'd still fit in the bed, and maybe this wouldn't be so uncomfortable for you..."

"Oh, hush you!" The husky voice replied before Emma turned, feigning sleep as she rubbed her face with her clean hand, sighed and went back to 'bed'.

The two young women had frozen at the girl's movement, frightened that they had woken her up, but had internally let out a breath as the girl kept sleeping.

"Thanks a lot, Kat! And don't worry, I'll be fine. Now go before we wake Emma."

"Right," her sister drawled out as she yawned, "Night, Gina."

"Good night, dear."

The blonde girl let her eyes flutter a bit open when she heard the door finally shut, and let her eyes adapt to the room's darkness. She almost gasped at what she caught.

The young woman's jeans were already off her legs, and she was in the process of getting rid of her shirt and removing her bra to remain in a short sleeved shirt.

Closing her eyes as the brunette turned to face the bed, Emma tried to ease her breath, but the images of the half-naked woman began taunting her.

She felt the creak of the bunk rather then heard it when Regina decided to stand up on it, and lean towards her; her left arm shooting out to run her hand along Emma's temple down to the dip of her neck. The young girl had to fight with her sense just to not tremble underneath the woman's touch. The brunette stopped at the girl's throat, her finger playing slightly with the sweat accumulated in its hollow before she leant further in and placed a warm kiss to the blonde's cheek.

"Good night, my Emma."

And just liked that, she was swiftly gone, and finally slipped underneath the sheets on the lower bunk.

Emma's eyes opened minutes later when she was sure the brunette woman laying beneath her was fully asleep. That's when she released a long breath and reached for her rosy cheek; sticky fingers lingering on her cheek bone.

Regina Mills, her sister's best friend since late elementary, had donned her with a kiss as she bid her good night.

She'd also called Emma hers, and that the blonde would never forget.

Sighing once more, she shut her eyes for real this time, and turned on her side.

"Sweet dreams, Gin," she murmured into the silence of the room; not realizing that the brunette laying down in the lower bed was listening and still very much awake.

"Emma, what are you even doing here?"

Emma stopped in her tracks as she turned, and found herself staring at her sister's best friend, a clean cigarette resting behind her ear.

The girl had caught the flash of her tight, black leather jacket inside and had darted away as soon as she'd noticed the brunette had seen her.

"Regina?" The blonde feigned surprise at seeing her crush, playing dumb, but she could see the woman wasn't buying her crap at all.

She'd thought she wouldn't run into any of the local college kids here, since this party was happening two towns over.

Emma had only come because of Ruby and Killian's insistence. The sixteen year-old's friend had said she needed more of a social life outside of Storybrooke. So, they'd invited her to a college party that was being hosted by a mutual friend. The blonde had only agreed to come on the condition that none of Storybrooke's university kids would be around there; which her friends had been quick to reassure her.

Now, there Regina stood.

Gawking at her as she looked her up and down, as if not believing the young girl could even be there.

In her hand she held a bright red cup that Emma didn't even want to know contained, but by the woman's glazed eyes...she kind of knew the brunette was slightly drunk.

"Does Katherine know you're here?"

"No, Regina! Please," she said quickly; with caution, she approached the brunette, "Kat will kill me if she finds out."

Regina made as if to dismiss her, and turned to walk away. It seemed as if she was going to find the blonde's sister and leave.

"Gin, please, stop. Don't cut the party short," the girl tried to reason with the woman.

"Are you here alone?" The brunette asked as she thought about the girl's quiet pleads.

"No," Emma shook her head, "Ruby and Killian came with me. They were having a few drinks, and I sorta just decided to wander off for a bit."

"Em, this isn't the sort of place for you to walk around alone. Guys here are crazy; especially those who're out getting drunk," she slurred a bit as she spoke and directed herself to the blonde.

"I can fend for myself; no one will-."

"No, no you can. This isn't Storybrooke, Emma. You're daddy isn't the sheriff of this fucking town. Anyone will see an open chance, and they won't care to take it," she finished in a sneer as she barged up to the girl.

She was so close her nose was pressed against that of the girl.

Emma noticed how her brown eyes flashed, and she knew somehow that Regina was also speaking of herself.

Her entire being roared out predator as she stood there in front of the girl; a dangerous air to her stance.

"Go home, Emma."

"Hey, Emma, we have guests. Say hi! Yeah? Don't be rude."

The blonde's cheek's reddened as her sister chastised her the moment she passed right in front of both women without even greeting them.

"Ah, hi, Regina," she said quickly; not caring to hear whether or not the older girl said hello back before making her way into the kitchen.

"Someone's in a hurry, huh?" She heard the husky voice of her sister's friend as she asked.

"Well, that's just Em being Em," her sister told the brunette, "Probably meeting up with Ruby or something."

Regina gave her a look.

"How is that going, by the way?"

Katherine chuckled, and Emma couldn't help but frown at her sister's tone. Why were they even talking about her? And what about her and Ruby?

"Red is totally into Emma; totally, but I don't think Em really knows yet that she's even a tad bit into girls at all."

The blonde's eye widened at her sister's words.

Long legs... Into her?

"How do you... Ehm, do you think your parents will take it lightly? If you're correct in your assumptions, that is."

"Ah, Gina, always so proper..."

"And you, dear, never so..."

Both young women laughed quietly.

"I think mom already senses it, but I'm not sure about dad. Sometimes I think he does too, but other times... I just see the way he pushes her towards Killian, and well-"

"You rethink it. Because why would he shove her towards the boy if he knew she wasn't interested?"

"Exactly."

The brunette made a non-committal sound before getting up.

"I think I'll get a drink, if you don't mind, Kat. You want anything?"

"Water, please. I'll just set up the TV."

"You do that, dear."

And then she was pushing the door to the kitchen, and walking over to the fridge. Emma sitting at the table as if she'd been lounging there all along, and not eavesdropping at the door.

So they thought she liked girls, huh?

Well, they weren't that badly off. But Ruby? No! She was her friend, and that was it.

She liked her women older like Gin.

Ruby was pretty, very true, and she was also a brunette, but...who Emma really liked was Regina.

"Everything all right, dear?"

She was snapped right out of her thoughts as her object of desire stood in front of her waving her hand as if to grab her attention.

"Emma?"

"Uh, yeah?"

"You okay?" That damn eyebrow was raised.

"Ah, yeah, yes. I'm fine."

"Good. Are you coming to watch the movie with us?"

Emma thought about this for a second.

"Kat rented Dracula. You know how she gets when Halloween's just around the corner," the brunette tried to say in an easy tone; playful hints in her voice to get the younger girl to come with them.

Emma snorted, a little un-lady like, but totally her.

"Don't I know it? She is my sister, after all."

"Of course," and she smiled at the blonde, "You coming then?

Emma turned.

"I'll be there in a minute."

Regina nodded as she moved towards the door, and stepped out into the living room.

"I'll be waiting."

Emma blushed as she heard her sister speaking to the brunette; asking her what that was all about before it all went quiet.

Movie night wasn't movie without popcorn; so, she found herself popping the bag into the mic and relaxing a bit as she waited for it to finish heating. Quickly, the air became permeated with the smell of warm butter…

"Em, you better intend to share that with us!"

The blonde sighed before she flicked her hair over one shoulder and went to the living room.

Regina and her sister were curled up in the dark on the big couch; covered by a fluffy comforter.

The film was paused on the title screen as they waited for the girl.

"Hurry up, Em," her sister urged.

"Get in here," Regina told her as she lifted up the blanket and gestured for the younger blonde to slide in beside her.

Not wasting time, she did so.

Kat didn't waste any time either as she reached over for the popcorn; Gin and Emma shared a look as the woman munched on it, but evidently they only had eyes for each other in that moment.

The older blonde hit play, and the musical score made Emma jump a bit as it started.

There was a soft touch by her hand, and she found herself glancing towards the brunette sitting beside her.

Regina's eyes were on the screen, and she seemed into the movie, but as Emma felt something brush up against her fingers again, she chanced a look down under the warm throw.

The brunette's hand laid centimeters away from hers, and her pinky was stretched out apart from the rest of her long fingers.

The blonde swallowed hard as she witnessed how the older girl's hand inched towards hers, and hooked her pinkies together in a soft meeting.

Looking up again, she was met with brown eyes as the girl's gaze landed on hers steadily; she found herself smiling as Regina's hand completely entwined with hers in a firm grip before the brunette looked back up towards the TV.

Emma didn't know what to do.

She wanted this, God, she did. But, she wasn't sure of what Regina was playing at.

At that moment, the woman's thumb grazed the back of her hand comfortingly; her eyes never leaving the scenes flickering on the screen.

"You and Red? Are you two—"

"What exactly are you trying to ask, Gin?"

"I just thought that maybe I would be your—It was silly, and now I know I shouldn't have had any high hopes..."

But Emma's finger had laid on her lips gently, and she had leant up to look deeper into the brunette's eyes; a knowing smile painting her mouth.

"You didn't think. You wanted to be my first kiss."

Regina slowly shook her head at the blonde.

"No, Em."

"Then, what? What is it, Regina?"

The woman bit her lip and shook her head as she took the blonde by surprise, and slid her arms around the girl's waist. She pulled her closer against her, and leaned down to her.

"I wanted to be your first everything, Emma Swan."

And with that said, the brunette brought her face further down to Emma, and delivered a soft kiss to her warm lips.

A meeting of lips that had the young girl sighing into her mouth, and molding in her arms.

Shy hands wrapped around the brunette's neck, and she reminded herself to pull back before she ended up exploring deeper into the wet depths of Emma's mouth.

When she ended the kiss, she kept her forehead pressed up against the blonde's, and opened her brown eyes to find timid greenish, brown orbs staring dreaming up at her.

She didn't let go of her; merely let her fingers play gently at the girl's sides.

"Well, you've just gifted me my first kiss," the blonde murmured serenely and the brunette found herself rooted to her spot.

"I thought," she began, but Emma reached up on her toes and kissed her back; effectively hushing her.

"Ruby was only trying to help me get your attention- there was never a Red and I; Gin, it was always you. It was all for you," the blonde finished as she played with the hairs at the nape of the brunette's neck.

"Wait, what?" Regina asked her with a frown; one of her hands travelling up to tangle itself in Emma's blonde curls, "Darling," she breathed, "Why? Why not just tell me?"

Emma chuckled shyly.

"Seriously, Regina?" The woman nodded as she kissed the girl's nose, "Has it still not dawned on you that you are my sister's best friend? I've known you since I was a little girl."

"More reason for you to have told me up front, dear."

The blonde scoffed as she scrunched up her nose.

"Easy for you to say. Your manner of telling me was by holding my hand underneath the covers as we watched a movie. With my sister in the room, might I add?" She said the last part quickly.

Regina couldn't contain her laugh at the girl's embarrassment.

"It's not that funny, Gin."

"The thing is," she paused as she caressed her cheek, "It took you long enough to figure out that you had already had my attention all along."

"You're so beautiful, Emma."

Her voice was husky against the younger girl's pale skin. Lips ghosting softly over the length of her long neck.

"Gin," the blonde breathed; her arms wrapping themselves around the older brunette's shoulders and pulling her closer to her.

Emma had only ever wanted to be in this position for as long as she could remember. Maybe not the carnal aspect of the situation, but she had been barely thirteen when she'd first began to fantasize about her sister's best friend kissing her madly.

"You can't imagine how glad I am to have you in my arms, dear," the brunette murmured into the blonde's ear as she peppered kisses just underneath it.

Emma had just turned seventeen a couple of hours ago, but Regina hadn't even missed a second before she had grabbed the younger girl's hand in hers, and disappeared upstairs.

Now the blonde laid on her back with her brunette girlfriend lying in between her legs as they made out heavily.

Just hours before, Emma had been at her house; some friends and family happily surrounding her as they sang her happy birthday and later on ate cake and talked animatedly.

Regina had kissed her cheeks gently when she'd arrived at the party before rubbing her nose against hers. The brunette had to keep appearances up, and make the blonde's parents believe she hadn't done more than lock lips with their little girl.

Afterwards she'd merely stepped away, and hung out with Emma's sister as the festivities went out, but once the seventeen year old had finished her last bite of cake, Regina had swept in.

Gold ringlets spread around the pillow as Regina's fingers slipped underneath the hem of her girlfriend's blouse and danced softly at her sides.

"Regina," the blonde began in a nervous tone, "I love you so much," she wrapped her legs tighter around the brunette's waist; gently rocking her hips as her cheeks flushed in a gorgeous tint of red that aroused Regina even more.

"Fuck, darling," the woman groaned as she delicately bit into the side of Emma's throat and received a melodic whimper from the girl underneath, "I love you as well."

Emma slipped one her hands down towards Gin's collar bone; circling it tentatively before she dropped it down to the brunette's right breast; rubbing circle's around the clothed, hardened nipple.

"God, Emma," her breath hitched as the petite blonde beneath her kept on her ministrations; she grounded her hips against Emma's as she dug her fingers into the girl's sides.

The younger girl took her chance to lean in and suck on the base of Regina's throat; tongue swirling against the olive toned flesh before moving up to her earlobe.

Holding back a moan, Gin switched their positions in a swift movement; Emma landing quickly on top of Regina as she leant up to capture the blonde's lips in an insistent kiss. She slipped her fingers into soft curls before pushing her tongue into Emma's mouth, and relishing in the shy moan that escaped through young, pink lips.

She was rarely ever late, but today she'd run into a talkative parent who wanted to inquire about his son's progress in class.

This year was her last of university, and it had been a blessing to find an early post at the town's own elementary school as a kindergarten teacher just before she finished her bachelors.

Though she had begun to love her new job, she couldn't wait until she arrived at the Swan residence for the gathering they were hosting tonight, and finally enjoy the presence of her girlfriend.

But when she arrived at the boisterous home, she couldn't help but feel jealousy as she saw Emma laughing in Ruby's arms as they joked about something.

"Might you remove your arm from my girlfriend, Ms. Lucas? I'd like her company right about now."

"Ouch, 'Gina," her friend chuckled as the leggy brunette pouted like a puppy dog, but moved away nonetheless to refill her drink. "Never knew you were the possessive kind."

"Of your sister," the brunette affirmed, "Always," she replied as she slid her arm around the younger blonde's back and pulled her into her side as she laid a kiss to her temple.

She smiled to the Swans as they greeted her with happy nods.

"Hello dear," she whispered to Emma as she accepted a drink Ruby extended to her as a silent truce.

"Hey, Gin," the young blonde smiled as she settled at her girlfriend's side, "How was the meeting?"

The brunette made a face at that, leant against the side of the couch; pulling the blonde to her delicately.

"Eww," they both turned to Katherine as she scrunched up her nose in disgust, "The fact that you're my best friend, and you're my little sister," she said turning to Emma, "is a little gross, so I think I'm just gonna go bother Killian for a bit."

"You do that, Kat," and the brunette's eyes wandered to Ruby for a second before narrowing them at her.

"Hey! You don't have to tell me twice; I'm leaving with blondie here, but just to make one thing clear," that girl was quite the feisty one indeed, "Emma is my best friend. You better remember that, Mills," she finished and walked away.

"Baby," Emma started, "Be nice."

"I will not be made a fool of," she murmured to the blonde as she took a sip from her drink, "And that girl, that's all she insists on doing."

"No, Gin. It isn't," she tried to ease her girlfriend, "Ruby's just really touchy. There is nothing you should be jealous of."

But apparently that was the wrong thing to say, because next thing she knew, her girlfriend has grasped her firmly by the chin and had turned her face towards hers.

"I am not jealous of anyone, Emma," she spoke evenly; her face clean of any angry emotions that would have arisen, "but if I feel someone is trying to take my place, I will not hesitate to..."

And Emma leaned in to gently peck her lips.

"No one is trying to take anyone's place. Have you yet to realize that I've only ever been in love once, and it's only ever been with you?"

The blonde's hands had landed on each side of her face; cupping her cheeks softly.

The brunette nodded as she rubbed her nose against the blonde's.

"It still bothers me that she does not understand boundaries," Regina breathed as she returned the kiss; quickly enough to make it seem chaste in the eyes of the girl's parents and relatives.

"Don't let it get to you," her girlfriend told her, "It's just Ruby."

"You keep saying that, darling."

Emma just grinned at her.

"Are you taking me out tonight or what?"

Regina only shook her head at the girl before resting her forehead against Emma's temple.

"What am I going to do with you, Emma?"

"Ah, well, you could kiss me properly?"

"Dear, not in front of your parents."

And as if on cue, the Swans were coming over to them.

"Have you told her yet, sweetheart?"

"Mom!" Emma complained as she shot her mother a stern look.

"Told me what?"

"Our little girl here got accepted to Columbia!"

"Columbia? But, that's in New York," Regina said with a tight smile, and both parents felt the shift in the air; it was anger that lingered in the air, no. It was more like hurt.

"Yes. Yes, it is, Gin."

And suddenly, Regina didn't understand if she had done something wrong. If she'd scared the girl away somehow.

"Could you excuse us for a minute, please?" The brunette asked as she turned to the married couple before smiling nervously and taking her girlfriend's hand and dragging her outside.

"Before we start yelling-"

"Emma," she scoffed in disbelief, "We're talking about New York! When were you planning to tell me, anyways?" She couldn't help but raise her voice.

"Regin..."

"We've grown up in Storybrooke, darling, and now you've just decided you want to just up and leave? Emma, I'm trying to understand, but I can't say I can or that I am."

She was frantically talking away to her girlfriend who was listening patiently to her words and her worries.

Emma just leant up against the wall, and stayed quiet.

"Why can't you just attend SU like a normal person?"

"A normal person?" It was her turn to scoff now, "Babe, have you looked around? Nobody ever leaves this damn town! I don't want to stay here forever, Regina; I want to go places, see the fucking world—"

"We can still do that," the brunette told her with a bit of force, firm and hard, "Emma, you can go to school here, and we can take our vacation elsewhere or wherever the hell you want to go to..." Regina desperately trailed off as her world began crumbling down around her.

"Gin," the blonde attempted.

"Where is this even coming from, huh? We talk about everything," the brunette began to feel frustrated.

Emma just kept quiet as she directed her eyes to the floor; not wanting to see how difficult it was for her girlfriend to hold back her tears.

"I thought you had a life here—with me, Em," Regina murmured; her voice broken, and the vulnerability shining through.

"Babe," Emma tried one last time.

"I hope you have a great life in New York, Emma," the brunette growled at her before she gave the blonde a kiss on her forehead, and took a step back, "Because apparently I can't even give you that. Here I thought, I could come home to you and feel better, but yet again... How silly was I?"

"Gin, please. Let's talk about this."

But the woman was already walking away, and getting into her car.

"When did she get the letter?"

"About two weeks ago; she was going to tell you as soon as she received it, I don't know what happened, Regina."

"Perhaps she wasn't planning on telling me at all, Kathryn. Why didn't you, by the way?" The brunette demanded of her friend; her eyes red and tears sliding down her face.

"Because I had a feeling on why she hadn't yet…"

Wiping furiously at her eyes with the back of her hand, the brunette merely chuckled darkly, angry with herself and with Emma too.

"Oh, yeah," she sneered, "And why was that, huh?"

Her friend's eyes met hers, hard and unbelieving of her cold exterior towards their conversation.

Kathryn couldn't help but snort as incredulity surged through her being.

"Because I didn't think Emma would have really left you!" The blonde shot back at her friend, her head shaking slowly as she stared at her.

Burying her face into her hands, Regina let more tears escape through her eye lashes; a strangled sob swimming through her lips as she pulled her dark hair away from her face.

"Now," Kat began, "It's been four days since you last talked to each other; more like you screamed at each other," at her best friend's look she jabbed further, "Oh, yes! Practically everyone at the party heard the argument; not to mention the way Emma came back in…"

Taking a deep breath, she reached for one of Regina's hands and grasped it between hers.

"You girls need to talk," And the way her brunette friend broke down into tiny pieces, and shattered into her arms made her heart hurt as she held her and they let their selves cry together.

"We tried, and I screwed up—"

"You both have tempers; that was to be expected.

Regina shook her head slowly, hands flying up to her face again.

"So, you're just going to let her go?"

She was leaning against her car as she waited outside the Swan residence; her back pressed up against the passenger door as she took a long drag from her cigarette.

Sunglasses perched on her nose as she hid her sensitive eyes from the blaring sun; she drank last night after Kathryn left, but she had already made her decision by the time she'd woken up this morning with a killer headache.

So, as soon as her eyes flicked opened, she rolled out of bed and got dressed; not caring to shower at all (though, she'd checked if she smelled bad or not). She'd thrown her little black, leather jacket and skinny jeans on over her simple shirt before driving over here.

But she hadn't called Emma, nor texted her to say she was coming by today. All she was waiting on was for her nerves to settle a bit before she went up to the door, and asked to go up to the blonde's room and see her…because she had a right as her girlfriend. Right?

One last drag from the cigarette, and she flung it away carelessly before crushing the lit bud with her shoe.

Approaching the door, she knocked twice; she could hear soft footsteps on the other side as someone came to open.

It was Emma's mom, and the raven haired woman looked happy to see her, though her eyes were a little sad, and the hug she gave Regina was a little too touchy for the younger woman to remain much longer in.

Her lips were moving, and she was asking Mary Margaret if she could go and see Emma; and her girlfriend's mother was nodding as some tears shed down her cheeks, and the brunette felt terrible to see the woman cry so openly that she hadn't run up the stairs without patting her affectionately on the back first, and taking off her sunglasses.

Coming up to Emma's door, Regina hesitated for a moment; her hands slightly shaking as she reached for the knob, and went to turn it.

Slipping inside determinedly, she found herself in the dark room, and her eyes had to adjust before she spotted the sleepless form of her girlfriend in the lower bunk. She sat softly on the edge of the mattress, and let her hand slide over to the blonde's cheek.

And all she could see was that first night she'd slept in Emma's room; how the younger girl had wished her sweet dreams, and fallen asleep with her name being the last to leave her beautiful lips that night.

Clamping down on her lower lip with her teeth, she swallowed a whimper as she quickly pulled off her boots, and slid underneath the covers; not caring if she woke her girlfriend as she tangled her arms around the petite girl and pulled her back against her chest. Her face burying itself in the crook of Emma's neck as she draped her leg over her lover's waist.

"Gin," she heard her breathe, and her tears finally fell as the girl turned in her arms; hands flying up to the brunette's face.

"I'm sorry I yelled, darling," Regina wept to her; her eyes tearing up more as she saw Emma's peering up at her, her eyes immersed in sorrow, "Emma please don't go," she finally sobbed as she launched forward and claimed her girlfriend's mouth in an urgent kiss; the minty taste of the cigarette overwhelming the blonde's mouth, sweet and bitter as it lingered.

But Emma pulled away too fast for her liking, and that tore deeper into the brunette's heart as she stared into the blonde's hazel eyes.

"Don't be like that, Em," she urged the blonde, her fingers digging into the girl's upper arms as her voice cracked.

"You know how much I love you, Regina," Emma told her as she placed her hands on each side of the brunette's neck, thumbs gently tracing her firm jaw, "I messed up," she insisted to her lover, her eyes pleading, "And I'm the one who should be apologizing. I should have told you sooner instead of you finding out the way you did."

"Gin, I don't wanna go to Columbia if it means leaving you behind—I'm so in love with you."

"It'll always be you, Emma," the brunette desperately told her as she peppered soft kisses on the blonde's cheeks, "I was angry and hurt when I said those things last time…"

Her girlfriend's glassy eyes finally creased a little, and tears began to stream down her rosy cheeks, the light now sneaking in through the blinds making them shine brightly.

"I can go to SU."

"No. What about all that talk about not wanting to stay in this sleepy town…about seeing the world?"

Lips moist from her traitorous tears, Emma cracked a small smile; salt lingering on her lips before she sealed them against Regina's in a promising kiss.

"The moment you walked away from me, intent on letting me get away, I knew I could never live without you. I just knew I couldn't slip away from you. Regina," Emma whispered as she nuzzled her nose to the brunette's, "I couldn't let you let me go."

Swallowing hard, Regina placed a lingering kiss just below her girlfriend's ear before they both hid away in each other's shoulder.

"You've made me the happiest, Gin. Don't you ever doubt that," Emma whispered, "You and I have created the greatest memories together."

Bringing her head back up, the brunette closed the space between them; their foreheads and noses softly grazing as she looked into her young lover's eyes.

"I don't want you to stay because you feel like you're leaving me behind; 'cause then, you'll resent me, Emma, and that would be harder to live with than you actually taking off."

"I could never resent you—"

"You say that now…"

"And I'll always say it. Sweetheart, I didn't tell you as soon as I got the letter because I wasn't sure if I still wanted to go. Back in April, you would have asked me if I'd leave this place on a whim and I wouldn't have hesitated to pack my bags and skip town," she sighed as she glanced into doe like brown eyes, "But when you kissed me that July night, I didn't care where I went if it meant being with you every, single day of the rest of my life," her fingers tucked strands of Regina's hair behind her ears as she continued, "And anyways, you're right. All our friends and families are here, we've all grown up here; it's our home," she finished as she rested her head on the older girl's chest.

"I'll go wherever you go, Emma, I've realized that now," the brunette murmured as she slipped her hands into her the blonde's messy hair and dragged her nails against her scalp softly, "I guess I just overreacted a little knowing that everybody else had already known, and I had been kept in the dark."

"And I promise you, babe," Emma cut in her as she circled her arms around Regina's waist, "You'll never be last to know again; I won't keep anything else from you."

"I'd really like that," Gin whispered into her unruly curls.

"Darling," Regina called out as she ran up the stairs to Em's room, bags full of takeout food as she reached the door with a wicked smile. But, her mouth hung open as she caught a glimpse of the inside of the room, and all the boxes that hung around, "What? Have you packed up the entire house?"

She received a giggle in return as her girlfriend jumped off from the floor where she was still putting some things away.

"Babe, you said you weren't coming back until five!" The blonde gushed girlishly as she stepped up on her bare tip toes to peck Regina on the lips.

"Staff development ended early," she grinned as she lifted her occupied hands, "I thought I'd buy us some lunch," Emma moaned at that as she went all handsy for the paper bags.

"I love you," the blonde expressed happily.

And Regina smirked goofily, her tongue sliding against the back of her teeth.

"Only because your family neglects to feed you well enough, apparently," she joked as she dropped down to the floor, Emma by her side, "Where's everyone? The front door was unlocked."

The blonde munched on a fry as she ventured deeper into one of the bags.

"Dad's at the station, I think Mom went out with Aunt Cindy, and well Kathryn's with Killian," she wiggled her brows suggestively as Regina made a gesture as if to throw up.

"Gross."

"Well, I hate to say I told you so, but while Da' was too busy trying to set me up with him, poor Killian was far too into Kat; so, I guess it's good…"

Regina hummed in the affirmative as she leant over Em's shoulder and snuck a fry away before kissing the blonde's cheeks.

"Back off lady!" the blonde warned with a playful yet dangerous grin, "These are mine."

"But sharing is caring, baby," Gin shot back as she rolled her eyes and went back to her salad, "And anyways, I bought them," she flicked her tongue out at the younger woman.

And their banter continued quietly as they finished lunch; almost ending up in heap of giggles on the floor once they were done, stealing kisses and reminiscing over their heated escapades within Emma's childhood bedroom.

"These are ready?" the brunette asked after she'd gotten rid of the trash; gesturing to a side of the room where the boxes where already sealed.

"Yeah, but some of them are heavy. So, only take the light ones…"

"What do you take me for, Em, a weak scrawny woman?"

"I just don't want you to hurt yourself, babe."

A hum was all she received before her girlfriend just picked up a box labeled books, and left the room. Emma's eyes rolled as she shook her head, of course the woman would take one of the heaviest ones to try and prove her point…quickly hefting two up, she made her way downstairs to the car.

Regina was waiting for her, an eyebrow raised.

"Couldn't you have waited a few seconds?"

The older brunette was smaller than Emma in weight, although she was slightly taller than her by a few inches, but the blonde still shot her a bewildered look.

"I guess I'm just too excited. But I'm not the only one! You know mom almost called a U-Haul already about to throw my things in it?"

The brunette chuckled as they turned in each other's arms to face the house.

"I'm going to miss this house," the girl confessed as she threw her head back onto her girlfriend's shoulder.

"Em, it's not like you'll live an hour from here," Regina told her, "We'll only be two blocks away."

"Yeah," she chewed on her lip nervously, "But, I'll be living with you."

The brunette let out a genuine chuckle as she threw her head back, and laughed.

So, what did you think?