A/N: This started as a one shot, then I completely went against my plan (whoops!) I'll probably continue this, but it will be a low priority and if no-one particularly likes it then I'll just not bother.
This is set a few weeks after everyone arrives back from Neverland, Pan never switched bodies with Henry.
Emma strolled through Storybrooke's dimly lit streets. It's late evening on Valentine's day, a holiday Emma never particularly cared for. This year she hated it even more than usual, her love life had never been this confusing and she couldn't stand it. Neal has been struggling for her affections since they got back from Neverland, and Hook seemed to be completely avoiding her. She had been walking for nearly an hour now, aimlessly. She hadn't seen a single person yet, everyone is at home, spending the night with their true loves and family. Including her parents. They had indirectly told her that she should make herself scarce that evening, and Emma more than happily obliged. She didn't need to see, or hear, whatever their plans were.
As Emma turned round the corner of the library, she saw a dark figure standing outside Gold's shop. She stopped and watched the figure. Neither one moved for, what seemed like, a long time. Then the figure, which Emma had concluded definitely belonged to a female, swiftly walked away. Emma jogged across the road, in an attempt to catch up with the figure. When Emma was only a few paces behind the figure, she turned around. It's Regina.
"Can I help you, miss Swan? Or would you prefer to continue stalking me." Regina snapped at the out-of-breath blonde.
"Sorry, I, er, wasn't stalking you. I saw you outside Gold's. Why aren't you home?" The blonde managed to say as she tried to steady her breathing.
"That's none of your business." The brunette pulled her arms tightly across her chest and glared at the blonde.
"Well, it is my business if you've left our son alone, at night." The blonde retorted.
"He's staying at a friend's. Which you'd be aware of if you spent a little time with my son, instead of wasting your time cavorting with those two lovesick puppies." Regina raised an eyebrow.
"I've been busy… with work." Emma muttered with a frown, she had thrown herself into work lately. She found it was the best way to avoid Neal's pleads for a second chance and a way to keep her mind of Killian. It hadn't occurred to her that it had also caused her to see Henry less and less.
"I know. I'm sorry, I just… I'm naturally defensive. I didn't mean it. I'm still getting used to everyone not hating my guts." Regina's arms dropped and her glove clad hands slithered into her coat pockets.
"I get it. I still find it hard sometimes, too." Emma said with a half-smile.
Regina nodded in acknowledgement. The two stood in the cold for a minute, staring off into the distance.
"I couldn't be at the apartment tonight, but I didn't have anywhere else to go." Emma finally broke the silence.
"I beg your pardon?" Regina was surprised by the blonde's admission.
"You said you could ask me the same thing. That's why. Why I'm walking, alone." Emma explained.
"Oh, right." Regina felt Emma's eyes burning into her, pleading for her own answer. "I stand by my prior answer."
"Of course you do." Emma sighed. "Do you want to go get a drink?"
Regina looked stunned and quirked an eyebrow.
"Unless you have somewhere to be?" Emma asked.
"No, I don't." Regina curiously stared at Emma. Unsure what her game was. "One drink." She really needed to start trusting people, there are worse places to start than with the 'saviour', she thought.
"The rabbit hole?" Emma inquired as she pointed in the direction of Storybrooke's only bar.
"Please tell me you're kidding?" Regina scoffed. "It's going to be filled we overly drunk, overly loved-up couples. I'd sooner spend the evening with your parents than go there."
"Where do you suggest we go then? You didn't exactly create this town with a variety of bars?" Emma sighed.
"Why don't we go to Granny's?" Regina asked.
"It's closed tonight. Do you really think I'd be wandering the streets if it was open? It seems that even Granny has a date tonight." Emma laughed.
"Of course she does." Regina sneered. "I guess we could go back to mine, if you're still desperate for a drink."
"I am. But I don't think my legs could handle walking all the way to the other side of town." Emma shook her legs, they were numb from the cold and being overused.
"Well, I suppose it's a good thing I drove here." Regina turned and walked towards her black Benz that was parked a few meters away. She walked to the driver's side door and unlocked the car. "Are you coming?" She asked the blonde who was still standing outside Gold's shop.
"Er… Yeah, sure." Emma quickly walked towards the car and slid into the passenger seat.
The ride to Regina's mansion was awkward and filled with idle chatter about Henry and the awful weather. The pair hadn't spoken much since they returned from Neverland.
Regina pulled her car onto her drive and turned off the engine.
"Here we are." Regina said as she opened her door and exited the car.
"You know I've been here before?" Emma questioned as she slammed the car door shut, with a lot more force than intended.
"I am well aware, sheriff. And I'd appreciate if you didn't attempt to destroy my car, or it shall be the last thing you do." Regina marched up to her front door and unlocked it.
"I thought you'd gotten past the whole 'evil queen' phase?" Emma laughed, fully aware that Regina's threat was empty.
"I'd make an exception to teach you a lesson, miss Swan." Regina smirked and gestured for Emma to go into her study.
Regina's study smelled of old books and the brunette's signature spicy perfume. Emma took a deep breath as she walked in, the smell was strangely comforting. She took refuge on the two-seater brown leather sofa that sat opposite a large marble fire place. Emma wasted no time in removing her shoes and jacket before stretching out her entire body. Meanwhile, Regina was standing by a small table pouring out two glasses of her infamous apple cider.
"Cold, dear? I can light it if you would like?" Regina asked as she made her way to sit next to the blonde. She noticed how the blonde's eyes stared longingly at the fire place.
"It is kinda chilly in here." The blonde said innocently with a completely juxtaposed smile. "Thanks." Emma nodded as she took the glass being offered to her and taking a big swig. The drink was so good she almost moaned. Regina set down her own drink and walked over to her fireplace. She knelt down and started up a fire. She rubbed her hands together then turned her palms towards the flames before going to sit back next to the blonde. Regina picked up her glass and took a swig, then let out a large sigh and flicked of her heels. The blonde was now sitting cross-legged on the couch and had already finished her drink.
"You can fill your glass again, if you'd like. It's just over there. But I must warn you, this isn't your typical cider. It's much more… powerful." Regina spoke in a sultry tone and smirked at the blonde.
"Maybe in a minute." Emma replied and she set her empty glass on the table. Regina nodded and pulled her feet onto the couch, underneath her bottom. She held her glass in her lap with one hand and propped her head up with the other. They sat in silence, both watching as the flames flicked around the wood.
"I felt lonely." Regina practically whispered.
"What?" Emma asked, unsure if she heard the brunette correctly.
"I was walking around town because I felt lonely." Regina paused, she couldn't quite believe she was divulging such information to her former nemesis. "I figured if I walked around town I'd see people and wouldn't feel so lonely. I should've guessed everyone would be busy tonight."
Emma stared at the brunette, she had no idea how to respond in a way that wouldn't result in her receiving one of Regina's notorious eye rolls.
"One thing I still don't understand," The brunette began, "is how your world has a day dedicated to true love, yet no such thing existed in the enchanted forest."
Any tension that was surrounding them completely melted away as they both let out a loud laugh. She was right, it was really peculiar especially considering how important true love is to the people of fairy-tale land.
"I honestly have no idea. I think it's the stupidest holiday. I bet it was just made to remind single people that they are alone." Emma sighed and Regina sniggered.
"Why are you alone?" The brunette asked, then took another swig of her cider. Asking the 'saviour' about her love life? I must be drunk already. Regina thought to herself. "You have two not entirely awful men chasing you, you could've spent tonight with either one. I bet that wouldn't even deter the other."
"I know. I could've spent tonight with either one, but I don't know which one I'd rather spend it with, so I'd rather not lead either of them on." The blonde replied then went to re-fill her glass. She was going to need to be drunk of her arse in order to talk about her potential true loves, and to Regina of all people.
"So, you think you love both of them?" Regina was shocked by how intrigued she sounded. Does she actually care about Emma's love life?
"Honestly, I have no idea. I definitely care about both of them, a lot. But love? I don't know. What even is love? What my parents have? Because I am never going to be like that. Ever." Emma slumped onto the couch, nearly spilling her drink all over herself, which earned an eye roll from the brunette. "Neal is Henry's dad. He was the first person who I ever loved, and who truly cared for me. And he obviously really want to have another shot at there being an us. But Killian. He gets me. He completely understands me. He is always there and I know he'd do anything to protect me, and Henry. Anything. And after Neverland… I thought maybe we we're gonna come back here and… I don't know… but he's being so distant. I know he is avoiding me. I have no idea why though."
"It can be hard to differentiate between feelings of deep care and love. They are so similar. Even so, I'm afraid you will have to have to make a decision, and soon. Or else you'll wind up losing them both." Regina said, "And whomever you choose, make sure you choose for yourself. Not for your parents of Henry or because you don't want to hurt someone's feelings. Do it because it's what you want."
"I know. I will, hopefully. I just… I really, really don't want to make the wrong decision." Emma shook her head and downed the whole contents of her glass. She was feeling quite tipsy now.
"Honestly, I was surprised that you and captain guy-liner weren't all over each other the minute we defeated Pan." Regina attempted to lighten the mood. "I wasn't joking when I said that you two needed to quit it with the eye-sex."
"Firstly, Killian and I never had 'eye-sex'." Emma spat out the words as if they were poison. "Secondly, you can shut it." Emma stuck her tongue out like a child.
"Nice, really mature." Regina laughed as she returned the favour.
Regina took a large swig of her drink, emptying the glass, she then stood up, took Emma's glass and made her way over to the table to re-fill both of their glasses.
"What about you? Has Regina Mills got a secret lover or crush?" Emma giggled.
"I don't do 'crushes', miss Swan." Regina cringed, she hated that word. It made her feel like a teenager.
"C'mon there must be someone you at least like a little bit?" Emma smirked at the brunette causing her face went bright red. "Oh my gosh! There is someone! Who is it? Tell me!" Emma demanded as she moved to sit on her knees facing the brunette.
"I do not 'like' anyone, even if I did why would I tell you." Regina laughed at the blonde who now resembled a desperate teen.
"Please! C'mon I can keep a secret!" Emma begged.
"Not if you're anything like your mother." Regina scoffed. Emma started pouting and widened her eyes, her best attempt at looking like an injured puppy dog. "If I can say no to Henry's 'puppy dog' face, I can definitely say no to yours."
"Okay. How about we make a game out of it?" Emma asked, as she jumped up to fetch the bottle of apple cider. "So, how this works is one of us says a name of someone in town. Then we both give them a rate out of 10, and take a swig if you would… y'know… tap that." Emma sat back on the couch and Regina burst into laughter.
"Are you serious?" Regina clutched her sides, scared they would literally split.
"Yes I am! It will be fun!" Emma pleaded, she looked offended by Regina's reaction.
"What the hell." Regina sighed, giving in. "Let's do it, but I get to go first."
"But of course Madame Mayor." Emma giggled.
"Doctor Whale." Regina barely managed to say as she was laughing so hard.
"Seriously? What a way to start." Emma cried as she joined in with the laughter. Both women sat unable to control their laughter, their hands slapping the couch and their own legs as they tried to calm themselves. "Solid six." Emma finally blurted, "And I'm definitely not drinking."
Regina finally managed to pull herself together, she wiped a tear from her eye, "I'd say weak six. And three of the points are definitely only there because he is a doctor." They both burst into hysterics again, and after a few seconds Regina slowly reached for her drink and gulped down a mouthful.
"Are you serious? Whale? You would… with Whale?" Emma was now too horrified to laugh.
"What? He looks like he would know what he's doing." Regina laughed as she set down her drink. "Your turn." She grinned at Emma, she was now very glad she had agreed to this game.
"Okay… Sidney." Emma looked curiously at Regina.
"Easy. Zero. Honesty, he wasn't even worth mentioning." Regina pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. Then she rested her chin on top of her knees.
"Er… I'm sorry if I..." Emma could see the brunette was uncomfortable with talking about Sidney so she tried to move on, "Okay what about Leroy."
Regina's mood lifted slightly and she let out a small snicker. "Six, seven on a good day."
"Really? You'd rate Leroy higher than Whale?" Emma furrowed her brows at the brunette.
"What can I say? He's got vigour." Regina confessed as she pulled her glass to her lips and let some of the orange liquid slide down her throat. She then stretched out her legs. Her feet now resting just under Emma's slightly elevated knee. A smirk stretched across her face.
"Regina!" Emma laughed as she hit the brunettes leg. "You are… so… wow. I'm speechless."
"That makes a nice change" Regina quirked a brow at the blonde. "You haven't answered for him yet…"
"Oh yeah. Um… six and a half." Emma eyed her glass. "I'm not gonna drink. He's all yours, your majesty."
"Next one. Jefferson." The brunette swirled her dink around, contemplating what her own answer would be.
"Solid eight." Emma instantaneously replied and she thrust her glass to her lips and took a huge mouthful. She looked guiltily at the brunette. "I'm thirsty!" She tried to justify her guzzle.
"Of course you are, dear." Regina nudged the blonde's leg with her foot and giggled. "I agree with the eight." Regina said nonchalantly and gawked her drink. She slowly raised it to her lips, then let out a huge sigh before lowering it.
"Whoa call the press!" Emma joked. "We've discovered the one man in Storybrooke that Regina wouldn't bang!"
"Don't be so crude, Emma. And he isn't the only one I wouldn't… y'know…" Regina pulled her legs away from the blonde and sat mimicking Emma. "Your father, for a start."
"Gross. I'm glad to hear that. I don't want to think about anyone doing… that with my da-" Emma's breath caught. "David. Still getting used to that." Emma's voice slowly changed to a whisper. Despite the past three weeks being great, she was learning so much about her parents and where they came from. But she still wasn't accustomed to actually having her parents. The whole magic thing she understood, that kinda made sense, but having parents? That was outside of the realms of possibility.
The mood had done a complete one-eighty. The atmosphere was no longer light and comfortable. It was now thoroughly heavy and awkward. Regina gazed at the blonde, she looked so upset, confused, broken. Regina wanted to gather the blonde in her arms and squeeze the pieces back together, to make everything better, to rectify her mistake.
Emma cleared her throat and drunk the last of her apple cider, Regina soon followed suit and Emma re-filled the glasses.
"New game," Emma began, "the aim is to drink so much we forget everything." Emma had decided against drinking from her glass and just grabbed the bottle.
"Emma. Don't. Just stop." Regina sighed and moved closer to the blonde. She then pried the bottle away from the blonde's hands and placed it on the table. "Why? Why do you want to forget everything? You finally have everything you wanted. You have your family, Emma." Regina stared into Emma's, now glistening, eyes. Emma shook her head, she felt a single tear slowly roll down her face.
Regina used a thumb to wipe away the tear and tuck some fugitive blonde tresses behind the blonde's ear. Regina slid an arm behind Emma's neck and pulled her closer. Emma nuzzled her head slightly into the crook of Regina's neck.
"What's wrong? You can talk to me; you can trust me." Regina promised as she began stroking the blonde's hair. Regina felt the blonde shake, she was crying uncontrollably. Emma attempted to speak, but all that came out was a low pitched whimper. "Shhh, it's okay you don't have to speak now." Regina rocked Emma, similarly to how she would rock Henry whenever he was upset.
Emma wrapped an arm around Regina's waist, pulling herself closer, as her sobs lessened. Her body continuing to shake wildly. "I know." Emma breathed between sobs. "I know that I should be happy. I am. Kind of. I'm so happy to finally have parents and to have Henry and this town and my job and everything. I am."
"So what's this all about." Regina asked as she idly drew circles on the blonde's arm. Emma pulled away from Regina and sat up.
"I don't know. I just… I feel scared. Nothing has ever been, or felt, this right for so long before. I'm constantly on edge, constantly expecting everything to go wrong. I'm waiting for the day everything I now have is ripped away from me. And it's killing me." She looked into her lap. She felt shame wash over her.
"You have nothing to worry about. Nothing and no-one is ever going to take your family away from you, Emma. Not unless they want to go against the Evil Queen and the Dark One. And no-one is stupid enough to do that. Trust me. Everything is going to be fine. I promise." Regina placed two fingers under Emma's chin and lifted it so their eyes locked. The brunette smiled at the blonde and nodded. Emma let out a sigh of relief and nodded too.
Regina stood and pulled Emma up with her. When they were both on their feet Regina wrapped her arms around Emma's back and held her tightly. The brunette rested her head on the blonde's shoulder as she felt the blonde's arms snake around her neck.
"I'm so sorry, Emma." Regina sighed, half hoping Emma wouldn't hear her confession.
"I forgave you a long time ago." Emma felt Regina smile at her words. She pulled the brunette even closer, their bodies almost becoming one. Regina flicked her wrist and gentle classical music filled the air. The two women began to sway. They stood swaying to the music, using the other to keep themselves propped up, for a long while before Regina pulled back and removed her arms from around the blonde. The blonde copied and pulled her arms back to her side. Their bodies still touching, they looked into each other's eyes. "Thank you." the blonde whispered.
"Anytime." The brunette replied, resulting in a large grin spreading across both of their faces. Emma leaned in slightly, staring at Regina's lips. Her mind filled with questions. What do those lips feel like? What do they taste like? Would she let me find out? Regina noticed where the blonde's gaze was. She decided to throw caution to the wind as she seized the blonde's lips in her own. A moan escaped from the blonde's mouth, Regina was taken by surprise and pulled away. Emma looked noticeably disappointed. Regina stepped back and took a deep breath. This was not how she expected the night to go.
Regina picked up the two glasses of apple cider and passed one to a confused Emma. She clinked the glasses together, sat on the sofa, then took a long swig. Emma stared at the glass, then at Regina.
"Next person," Emma began, she was now standing in front of Regina, "Regina Mills. Ten." Emma said with a ludicrous amount of confidence before guzzling down the entire contents of her glass, her green eyes latched onto brown ones the whole time. Regina's breath hitched at the unexpected level of confidence the blonde had spoken with.
Regina fidgeted slightly and wiped away a crease from her skirt. She looked up at the blonde with a smirk on her face and said, "Emma Swan. Solid 8 point five." Regina then took a tiny sip of her cider. Green eyes began to search brown ones, frantically trying to figure out if there was anything other than sincerity in the brunette. Realising how sceptical the blonde was being, Regina decided to make it undeniably clear.
First, she set down her own glass, then she took the blonde's and set it down next to her own. The brunette's hands then reached up and grasped the blonde's hips and pulled them towards her, so Emma straddled her lap, then she recaptured the blonde's lips with her own and wrapped an arm around her neck. The blonde responded by placing one hand on Regina's hip and the other on her cheek. A battle of lips, tongues and teeth, followed by feverish hands trying their best to eradicate clothing from the other woman.
It wasn't long before both women were wearing nothing but their underwear, kneeling on the couch, still vigorously making out. Regina slipped a hand down from the blonde's neck to the back of her bra and skilfully unfastened it. She took a strap in each hand and slowly slid it down the blonde's arms. Before the blonde's mounds were exposed, both women erupted into a fit of laughter.
"What are we doing?" Emma asked as she rested her forehead against the brunette's.
"I don't have a clue." Regina managed to say between laughs. They kept their bodies pressed against each other. They both stopped laughing and their breathing returned to normal. "But… I don't think I want to stop." Regina said through clenched teeth. Emma pulled her head away so she could look at the brunette.
"Then don't." The blonde bit her lip then slowly pushed the brunette down, so she was laying on top of her.
"But we're drunk, Emma. What if we regret this in the morning? What if we can never look at each other again." Regina said as Emma sat up and grabbed her shirt that had been slung onto the floor. "You already said that your head is all over the place with Hook and Neal. I don't want to complicate things more."
"I get it. I don't like it, but I get it." Emma pulled her legs to her chest and hugged them, burying her face between her chest and knees.
"I think we should go to bed, sleep of the alcohol." Regina stood and gathered her clothes. "You can borrow some pyjamas, if you'd like. The guest room is already made up."
"Thanks." Emma followed Regina as she made her way out of the study and up the stairs to the master bedroom. Regina pulled some black silky pyjamas out of a draw and handed them to Emma.
"Here you go. The guest bedroom is right down the hall, there's plenty of towels in the bathroom so feel free to have a shower." Regina said. Emma stood in the doorway watching as the brunette moved around her room, adjusting things, in an attempt to avoid eye contact.
"What if this is what I want." Emma said under her breath.
"Pardon?" Regina asked. Emma walked into the room and placed the pyjamas on Regina's King-size bed. The blonde then walked over to the brunette and turned her so they were face-to-face.
"What if this, us, is what I want. What if I don't love Killian or Neal. What if the reason I couldn't pick between them is because I don't love either of them?" Emma asked.
"Emma, you're drunk. Let's just stop this and go to sleep. Before something happens that we wish didn't." Regina pulled away from Emma's grip and made her way over to her bed, Emma following less than a step behind. "Get some sleep. We can talk in the morning." Regina re-handed the pyjamas to the blonde. Emma nodded and made her way down the hall.
She didn't even bother changing. She just fell onto the bed and let sleep take over her body.