Hey! It's been a while, I know. It's been a crazy couple of years for me in which I've both lost and gained some incredibly important people.
It's why I haven't gotten around to writing fiction. Until now. Well actually, until I saw something about a Swan Queen Advent Calendar Collection (over at ArchiveOfOurOwn) and I thought… Why not? There was a relatively short deadline so after I'd signed up to join the collection I knew I couldn't procrastinate. And I didn't. It's not perfect and it's -like all my stuff- un-beta'd. But I had fun writing this little story. Now I really hope you'll enjoy reading it as well. :)

Don't hesitate to let me know what you think!

And oh yeah, thanks SO much to all of you who've read my writings over the years… And for all of the feedback, comments, compliments and messages…
I've been quiet but that doesn't mean all of it didn't make me smile.

Check. This really needed to be mentioned.

Here's the story:

August 2015: With the help of a team of experienced psychologists and relationship experts,

app developers and sisters Regina and Zelena Mills launch an app called MATCH.

MATCH advertises to only deliver 100% love matches.

The crazy thing? It fucking worked. Over four years later, all sceptics were proven wrong by marriages, babies and happy endings that had all started
with a 'simple' registration on the MATCH app. Its sophisticated algorithms went on proving to be genius.

November 3rd 2019: For her 21st birthday, Emma Swan's best friend gets her a gift card.

"Really, Ru… Are you out of your mind? You went out and paid 100 dollars for me to go on a dating app?!"

Emma'd always known Ruby to be the kind of person to go full out and do all types of stuff she never would.

"Jesus, Ems… It's your birthday and it's my money… What it cost is completely irrelevant. Plus, this isn't just any dating app."
Ruby rolls her eyes and knowingly smirks at her friend, who's reaction to her gift is exactly what she'd expected of it.
Out of he two of them, she'd always been the more adventurous one.

Emma Swan on the other hand, is a safe player. Which, on many past occasions, had turned out in her favour. It had gotten her through school, off the streets,
gotten her work, earned her money. She'd done it all for herself.

Out of necessity, Emma had grown to be a chameleon.
If she hadn't she wouldn't have made it to where she is today.

So no, spending this kind of money on something like a trendy matchmaking app does not fit her profile.

"What am I supposed to do with this?" She asks her friend, scrunching up her nose in light annoyance and dread for the answer that's surely to come:
To get over herself and use it.

"It's an app." Ruby smiles.

"I know it's an app." Emma deadpans back at her. "I've heard of it since, you know… I haven't been living under a rock?"

Her tone shows no signs of amusement, still Ruby's grin only seems to grow.

"Are you sure you haven't?"

"I think I'm too old fashioned for all of it, Ru." The birthday girl slowly shakes her head from side to side and sighs.
"It's good for someone else I'm sure, but I just don't think it's my thing. I'm sorry…"
The next thing she knows her lips are literally sealed by the other woman's thumb and index finger pinching them closed. Who even does that?
That's right. Ruby Lucas does.

"Will you listen?" Ruby looks at her with big stern, yet sweet eyes.

Slapping the hand at her mouth away Emma gestures for the other woman to do her talking, if she so insists.

"When you sign up, you have to answer a long list of questions. Questions about practically anything and everything." She starts explaining.

"Sounds exciting."

It's not really new information. The basics about the app and the way it works are sort of general knowledge to most people these days.
Years ago, when MATCH had been launched, they had initially thought it was just another dating app.
When after some time, its advertised and promised 100% success rate had proven to be full proof and true,
the app had been a hot topic across all media and something people grew more and more intrigued about.
The fact that it kept on proving its worth as time went on only kept on strengthening its credibility.

"I know, you might not get a match or that it might take some time before you do…
because, of course, you can only get matched if you're 100% compatible with someone, right?" Ruby goes on explaining.

"Right."

"And those chances are slim."

"You're making it all sound so appealing." It's Emma's time to smirk at her friend.

She's instantly met with a warning glare to keep an open mind.

"But… if you're lucky… If you do match. Em… You've won the jackpot!"

And Ruby sounds genuinely excited at that prospect. Unlikely as it is, it's sweet and Emma's grateful to have anyone care enough about her to hold such hopes in their eyes when it comes to her.

She tries to smile but hardly manages.

"I'm not a lucky kind of girl, Ru."

"Hey… you've got me for a friend, don't you?"

She was right. Ruby was a pretty great friend to have. They'd met in high school. The Umpteenth one Emma had enrolled in and a few years later graduated from.
There had been a long legged brunette who'd had everything going for her to be popular enough to one day snatch the crown of home coming queen but decided that the new shy kid seemed more interesting to hang around with. Emma had been that shy kid. Ruby the leggy brunette. They'd been 15 at the time.

And even though after getting to know each other a bit better, Ruby had understood that the newcomer had her reasons to be as guarded as she was… She'd never stopped trying for the blonde to get out of her comfort zone.

Every now and then Emma caved and joined her in doing something crazy like…. sneak backstage at a Britney concert and eat all the food or appear as an extra in a zombie film. One time Ruby had convinced her that dying their hair would be a great idea. Emma's usually beautiful blonde curls had been neon green for the rest of the summer. Ruby'd liked her own restyling so much that, to this day, she still keeps a couple of streaks of red.

So yes, Ruby is a great and certainly interesting friend to have but she is also very different from Emma.

"That is true… But this… I don't know, Ru."

"Look, it's your birthday gift." Ruby takes the other woman's hands into her own and squeezes them encouragingly.

"Yeah… that cost way too much."

"Will you stop it?" The brunette groans before another smile creeps onto her features. "That doesn't matter. And maybe nothing will come from it but maybe the best thing that'll ever happen to you will… So, what have you got to lose?" She playfully wiggles painted eye brows.

"Are you registered?" Emma looks at her curiously.

She'd never thought of her friend as the settling down type and well, if you believe this MATCH app to hand you your soul mate on a plater than you better be ready for it.

"A couple of years ago, yeah. So far, nothing…"

She shrugs, not seeming to be particularly disappointed nor relieved about that.

"And that's fine. I'm happy with the way things are. But who knows… maybe there's someone out there convincing their stubborn friend right now to fill in that fucking list.
And BAM … I'll find my true love."

"You're funny." Emma sarcastically comments but also chuckles nonetheless.

"C'mon babe." Her friend gives her another one of those hopeful looks. Eyes sparkling with excitement.

And Emma caves

"Fine."

Ruby freezes before rubbing her eyes in disbelieve.

"What?!" She nearly yells, putting up a show because they're in public and she loves loves loves to embarrass Emma a little, the blonde is sure of it.

"I said fine… I'll do it." She says in a much lower tone, trying not to think too much of what she might be getting herself into.

"Oh fuck yeah!" Ruby grins proudly at the both of them. "Happy 21st birthday Emma!"

The next night she googles MATCH and everything about it. She finds a shitload of articles, reviews and essays. Some very sceptical at first but even the harshest of critics had to admit that the numbers didn't lie. The app, its growing database of singles looking for love and clever matchmaking software worked. genius-ly so.

Tons of MATCH couples had shared their stories on various social media and video platforms. Emma couldn't deny that she felt at least a small pang of jealousy as she watched them glow gleefully and in love from her laptop screen.

She continues her researching and reads more on the Mills sisters, by now incredibly wealthy and equally famous for spreading 'true love'.

She knows them, of course.

Everybody does.

After the app had been launched and had proven its success, the women on their turn were launched into fame dome. Their incredible gene pool worked in their favour of course, just as their way with words and people. The public took to them and they grew out to be leading examples for many women of color. They lived, what many believed to be, the new American dream.

Even Emma couldn't deny kind of liking them.

She grabbed her phone and Ruby's gift card.

It felt crazy to download an app for that amount of money. She'd never even consider to

pay 99 cents to remove a watermark because she liked a paying filter over a free one.

But here she was, spending 100 dollars on an app that promised to give her true love. Well, either that or nothing.

When the app opens, the design surprises her with its simplicity.

First there is a white and yellow background with the name of the app across it.

A couple of seconds later she's asked the pick a region and language.

REGISTER, the next screen reads. Her thumb barely touches the word when the next one loads and she starts growing a little nervous. She's actually going to go through with this. But Ruby was right, wasn't she? What does she actually have to lose? Worst case scenario… nothing comes of it. Best case… she finds some kind of … soul mate?

"Ridiculous" She weakly snorts. Although it's becoming harder and harder to lie to herself about this. She's sceptical that it's misplaced… but has got hope for this to lead somewhere.

And well maybe she's the hopeless case. She shakes her head at her train of thought and refocusses.

The first questions are simple enough.

Name, age, gender, height, sexual orientation… The basics really.

Then come the ones about lifestyle.

Hobbies, proneness to addiction, interests, weaknesses, guilty pleasures.

Some are multiple choice while others work with tags.

"Left or right" one question asks. Simple enough. Then again… did the app want to know if she was left or right handed or inquire about her political views?
Either way… she picks left.

"Cold or warm"

"Dark or light"

"Night or day"

Real in dept questions. Nah.

Those are next…

and has got Emma sweating and regretting having ever wished for questions that were less predictable.

After an hour has passed she gets up to grab something to drink.

With regained energy she goes on.

Emma feels herself glow red when she gets to the sexual portion of the questionnaire.

On a scale of 0 to 5:

Would you consider yourself a sexual person?

Have you had sex?

Do you like sex with another person?

Do you think sex is important in a relationship?

Do you think intimacy is important in a relationship?

Do you need a minimum amount of sex per week?

"Geez" Emma rubs her face roughly. "What the fuck am I doing?"

Next thing she knows… she grows even redder.

Would you enjoy (yes or no):

Having a partner be vocal during sex

Talk dirty to a partner

Have sex in a place you might get caught

Watch your partner masturbate

Have your partner watch you masturbate

Participate in a large orgy with partner

Use sex toys while having sex

Have your partner be rough to you in sex

Listen to romantic music while having sex

Have sex while on period

Use obscene words while having sex

Watch porn with partner

Yup, questions that make Emma Swan's head spin. This app certainly is making sure to get all the information they need as to not mis-match people sexually.

In a weird way it makes sense, right?

Still… Emma feels uncomfortable and is all too glad when those questions are over and done with.

Then follow some political questions

… and then some philosophical ones

… followed by a string of various random ones

… and some more self-reflective ones.

By now, Emma's incredibly close to throwing her phone against the wall when she taps the thing and it loads to a screen that asks for her phone number and mail address.

And that's it.

She swallows hard and feels her palms growing sweaty but Emma manages to be brave, clicks submit while holding her breath

and waits.

Absolutely nothing happens. Of course nothing happens. Not unlike exactly what she'd expected.

Emma berates herself for having this ridiculous feeling of being deflated anyways. She groans upon realising three hours have passed since she started to fill out this stupid thing.

Three hours of her life she'll never get back. Great. She shuts her laptop, throws her phone to the side and her deflated body on her bed.

"Another banner year."

Somewhere in a tv-studio several states away there's a woman that receives an email notification.

"You're on in five minutes, Regina."

She looks down at her screen and automatically frowns at what she sees.

The wheels in her head turn ever so slowly, trying to catch up on what her eyes are registering.

"Congratulations. We've found your MATCH."

And then it hits her and her world tilts on its axes.