The 29th came around quickly. The days with Regina always seemed to fly by, and now Emma was going round for dinner. She spent well over an hour deciding what to wear and still wasn't dressed in anything but underwear when Joe came to pick her up.
"Woah Emma, a heads-up would have been nice!" Joe called from the doorway as he covered his eyes and moved from foot to foot awkwardly. Emma pulled her oversized Jets hoodie on to cover up.
"you can look now. I need help" Emma responded without turning away from the wardrobe.
"well, you're in the best place for it doll" He joked walking over "Jeans and a shirt."
"what jeans, what shirt?" Emma was getting more stressed by the second. Joe pulled out a pair of navy blue jeans and a thin, white, button down shirt "these."
"you can see my bra through that shirt" Emma took the jeans and put them on as Joe looked through her wardrobe once more before pausing.
"you say that like it's a bad thing?"
Regina's house was like something from a movie. It had so many windows that Emma couldn't count. Emma and Joe walked up the long path up to the giant white front door. She stepped back and looked up at the towering pillars holding a balcony on the first floor. The door opened wide, and Regina stood wearing what the blonde now referred to as her "signature look". A tightly fitted knee length purple dress with matching heels.
"I will be in your office Reggie" Joe walked past and into the depths of the house
"Don't break anything" Regina called back.
"Reggie?" Emma asked with a smirk.
"He is stronger than me. If I could pin him down… I would" Regina stepped to the side "come in dear."
Emma walked into the house, her converse meeting the smooth white marble of the reception area. The staircase was also marble with a black, swirling metal handrail and from the ceiling came a large, sparkling diamond chandelier. The place looked like something from a fairytale. Regina noticed the girls look of awe "Emma" she tried, but she was completely in shock. Regina smiled and leant in to whisper "if you like this you should see my bedroom", and Emma sprung out of her daydream.
"your house is beautiful" Emma smiled.
"you are beautiful" Regina looked from green eyes down to the visible white lace bra through her shirt and finally to the tight fitted jeans covering pale legs that were once wrapped around her waist.
"can I have a hug?" Emma asked quietly feeling totally out of place standing in the grand entrance hall of Regina's home.
"I've told you before; you don't need to ask" Regina opened her arms and Emma stepped into them.
"keep it PG ladies" Joe joked from the doorway to Regina's office holding an Xbox remote.
"You have an Xbox?!" Emma exclaimed looking from Joe's hands to Regina.
"It's his; I got it for him so he would have something to do when he came round if I was busy."
"you come round often?" Emma asked, slightly jealous.
"He won't leave most of the time" Regina was still holding Emma's hips against her own.
"you love me being here" Joe smirked putting the Xbox controller down on a table.
"well, I don't hate it" Regina kissed the top of Emma's head and reached for her hand "Joe is staying for dinner, is that okay Emma?"
"of course! Joe's need love too" Emma giggled and winked at her pseudo-uncle.
The three of them sat in constant conversation eating the most delicious lasagne Emma has ever eaten with a side of homemade chicken nuggets that had made her smile so wide Regina thought her heart would burst.
"Cider?" Regina called behind her as she washed the dishes listening to her two favourite people looking through pictures on Joe's phone. "yes please" they said in unison before the three of them laughed. It was all weirdly domestic.
"Joe, can you drink yours in my office?" Regina asked handing him the tall glass with condensation running down the side. He nodded and started to leave the room "use a coaster!" Regina called after him.
"yes ma'am" He saluted with his free hand.
"I've missed you," Emma muttered as Regina took a seat next to her at the breakfast bar.
"I saw you yesterday dear."
"I know, but I hate it when you're not there."
"I understand" Regina took a sip from her drink and Emma copied, her eyes opening wide in surprise as the flavour swirled on her tongue. "Do you like it?"
"It's delicious" Emma took a longer drink before looking at Regina. Her smile was making the blonde's heart race. Regina watched the girl sitting beside her, her cheeks turning pink from the alcohol, her blonde hair falling effortlessly over her shoulders, her eyes sparkling as she smiled. Her eyes moved to her lower lip, a drop of cider running slowly over it and Regina lost all inhibitions. She leant forward and captured the bottom lip between her own, hearing the sigh from the blonde above her as she placed her cup down and used both hands to grab the older woman's face pulling her in. Emma moved her lips fluidly against Regina's, the flavour of apples lingering on their breaths. Regina tilted her head, deepening the kiss as she stood up from the barstool pulling up the blonde with her. Then walked forward, forcing Emma to walk backwards until her back hit a wall. She placed one hand on the wall next to Emma's head as the other undid the buttons on her sheer shirt. "as much as I love this shirt, it needs to go" she mumbled into Emma's mouth not wanting to break the kiss.
"Regina" Joe called from just outside the kitchen. The older woman ignored her best friend and continued undoing Emma's shirt with one hand, moving the other to grip into blonde locks. "Regina!" Joe shouted.
"what?' Regina growled not moving a single muscle away from the enticing girl in front of her.
"you can't."
"I can do what I like, Joe" Regina mumbled as the blonde's shirt flew open and she started on her jeans.
"Regina stop" Joe stormed into the room and grabbed his friends arm pulling her away. Emma turned around, cheeks flushing a bright red and re-buttoned her shirt as fast as she could.
"Joe, I swear to God. I will hurt you" Regina was in full attack mode, and it was more than a little scary. Her heels boosted her to the same height as Joe but he wasn't showing any signs of fear, in fact, he took a step towards her. "Regina, we spoke about this earlier. You cannot sleep with Emma; she is 17." Their noses were almost touching as the two stared each other down.
"do I get a say in this?" Emma spoke up breaking the Mexican stand-off happening a few feet away.
"no," Joe said as Regina insisted "yes."
"Regina, I want this. I really do. But I don't want to get you into trouble, and I don't want you going to prison because of me. We can wait until I'm 18. That's only like nine months." Emma attempted to reduce the tension in the room slowly edging towards the brunette and wrapping her arms around her. Regina relaxed into her embrace and rested her chin on Emma's shoulder closing her eyes and breathing in deeply. "It's okay, we can wait" she whispered into the nurse's hair. Joe sighed; watching his best friend so torn apart was difficult at best.
"why don't we watch a movie or something?" He suggested.
"can we play a board game? Do you have any Regina?" Emma asked pulling away slightly from the warm body in her arms to look at her face.
"I have chess?"
"well that's fucking dull" Emma mumbled under her breath.
"language!" Regina exclaimed batting her upper arm lightly with the back of her hand.
"she is right Reggie; Chess is shit" Joe joined in with a cheeky smirk.
"You're a bad influence on her" Regina cupped her hands over Emma's ears, wrinkles appearing around her eyes as she smiled.
"we all know that she is the bad influence" Joe chuckled jumping forward and tickled Emma's ribs causing her to squeal and sprint away with Joe quick on her tail leaving a laughing Regina standing in her kitchen wondering how her life had changed so much in such a short amount of time.
"…so they took my bath plug" Emma explained to Joe.
"Well I sure would've too, doll" Joe responded from a beanbag on the floor.
"Yeah, I know. I just miss having baths" the blonde looked pointedly at Regina who was curled up on the couch next to her, heels placed neatly on the ground and her ankles crossed underneath her. "I'm not giving you the bath plug back, dear, so you can stop looking at me like a lost puppy" the older woman quipped back with a raised eyebrow "however if you wish you are more than welcome to bathe here."
"but I didn't bring a change of clothes."
"you can borrow something of mine; it is no problem."
"Awesome! Lead the way" Emma smiled.
Joe reached for the Xbox remote to keep himself entertained but kept the volume down so he could keep an ear on the two women. "Y'all better keep your hands to yourselves" he called after them "I'll be checking".
Regina led Emma upstairs and stopped on the landing, thinking.
"what's up?" Emma asked with a furrowed brow.
"My ensuite or the main bathroom?"
"Either is fine."
She took a deep breath before mumbling "mine it is" and opened the door to her bedroom. Emma's eyes widened. The bedroom was the size of her lounge and dining room back home put together. The walls were painted a dark grey with the carpet a lighter shade. Her bed, a dark brown four poster with red silk sheets, pillows neatly piled up near the top. At the end of the bed was a red loveseat with black cushions on either end. It was like something you'd see in a palace.
"woah," Emma whispers to herself.
"bathroom's this way" Regina called behind her refusing to look at the blonde running her hand over her bed sheet as she walked over to a dark wood door at the far end of the room.
The entire room was built of a dark grey marble. It was beautiful. The bathtub stood on a raised platform with steps leading up to it; if you could even call it a bathtub. It was the size of a hot tub.
Regina, still barefooted, walked up the steps and used a remote to run the bath, manually adding some of her apple bubble bath into the filling tub. "high tech bath you got there, Mills."
"you sounded just like Joe there" Regina chuckled placing the bottle back on the side of the tub.
"well, he is my uncle" Emma joked.
"yes, dear. Wait here while I get you some clothes" Regina walked out of the room, and Emma walked around the room inspecting the different bottles on the shelves.
Regina came back a few minutes later holding a small pile of clothes placing them on a small side table by the sink "these look similar to your current clothes so no-one should notice"
"Thank you, Regina" Emma grabbed her hips and pulled her in for a crushing kiss.
After a moment or 10 Regina pulled back "I'm not complaining but what was that for?" she asked running her hands up and down Emma's arms. "I just really um.. I like you a lot" Emma looked everywhere but the eyes boring into her. "I like you a lot too, dear" Regina smiled, her eyes brightening uncharacteristically "right. Clothes off."
Emma smirked, holding back the joke that she felt would be way too easy and unbuttoned her shirt for the second time that evening. Regina turned away knowing that if she saw the porcelain skin underneath that shirt that her resolve would weaken instantly. Emma stripped, climbed into the bath and manually turned off the taps. "you can look now" she said, her knees up to her chest with her arms wrapped around them. The older woman turned cautiously, her own arms wrapped around her abdomen tightly. Perching on the bottom step of the bath platform they talked until the water turned cold. After redressing and deciding it was probably best if Emma left sooner rather than later as it was getting late, the two women were holding each other in the reception area of Regina's home. "I will see you in two days, sweetheart."
"I don't want to go back there."
"I know baby. I know."
The car journey back was silent as Emma looked out of the window slowly caressing the fabric of Regina's jeans on her thigh. Pulling up to the hospital Joe parked the car and looked over at Emma, the girl on the verge of tears. "everything will be ok; you won't be here forever."
"I know; I just miss Regina."
"She feels the same, honey" he grabbed her hand and squeezed lightly.
"I don't think she does" Emma mumbled as a rough thumb stroked over her knuckles.
"I haven't known Regina that long; but I have spent a lot of time with her. She doesn't smile at anyone like she smiles at you."
"but once I leave here we won't see each other again" a single tear ran down Emma's pink cheeks.
"she loves you, Emma; she isn't going to let you go."
Emma turned her head so fast it clicked, "she loves me?" her eyes sparkled with moisture threatening to tumble over mixed with hope.
"if you can't see it doll, you need your eyes checked" Joe chuckled and opened the car door.
Back on the ward, Emma couldn't stop smiling as she made herself a cup of tea. The night staff had just arrived, so the floor was skeleton staff until handover finished. Ruby skipped into the kitchen "oh hey em! How was your day at your uncles?" she smiled, but her eyes narrowed glancing down at Emma's body as she squeezed past the blonde to get a mug. "it was good thanks, Rubes, he made my favourite food, and it was awesome".
"I haven't seen that outfit before" Ruby furrowed her brows in thought "were you wearing that this morning?"
Emma froze "uhh, yeah of course I was"
"and you smell different" Ruby continued ignoring Emma's response "it's familiar… apples?"
"I sprayed my uncle's girlfriend's perfume" Emma adlibbed impressing herself. Ruby didn't look convinced but seemed to let it go. They made their drinks in relative silence; Ruby grabbed her mug blowing on the steaming liquid and moved to walk out of the small room.
"be careful Emma."
"what?" Emma looked behind her at the tall brunette with a raised eyebrow.
"if I know, it won't take long before someone else works it out" Ruby didn't look up from the swirling liquid in her mug.
"I have no idea what the fuck you mean Ruby."
Two pairs of green eyes met.
"you smell like Regina."
Neither realised Kathryn was outside the door.