Emma had been having a pretty good morning so far. She'd gotten up as usual, Mary-Margret had made the best breakfast ever, and she'd just stopped by Granny's to have her morning cocoa. She usually came in a little later, after she'd set up a new pile of paperwork the evil Mayor of Storybrooke had given her just to see her suffer, but lately Emma had taken to coming in at precisely 8:35 AM. See, 'cause that just so happened to be the time said Evil Mayor of Storybrooke got her morning coffee- after dropping Henry off at school, before going into her office for the day.

It wasn't like Emma was stalking her or anything.

… Okay, well, to be perfectly honest maybe she was. –Just a little. It wasn't as if Emma had taken the time to memorize the Mayor's schedule or anything. She had no idea that the woman got up early and left the house with Henry at exactly seven-thirty before dropping him off at school at eight o'clock. Or that the Mayor would then drive over to her office, grab some paperwork, go to Granny's and get her morning coffee to look over said paperwork in peace before leaving at nine o'clock to go back to work. Or that she left work ranging from five to seven and head home to cook dinner for Henry.

"Oh God." Emma groaned, sinking further into her seat by the door. "I'm turning into Mary-Margret."

"Did you say something Emma?" Ruby called from her spot behind the counter, drawing Emma out of her obsessive thoughts.

"No." the Sheriff replied, rather pathetically. She even sounded pitiful. She needed to get herself under control before she started fantasizing about that damned woman and her damned power suits and that damned smirk.

Dammit. She already was.

Great.

"You sure? You sound like you might need another cocoa. Or your sad day special. Got some bear claws in the back, just out of the oven." Another dammit. Ruby knew her too well. If Emma wasn't careful she'd start shouting across the Diner about her own thoughts. She'd never live it down if Regina found out Emma had taken such a deep interest in her. Jeez, just thinking the woman's name sent tingles down Emma's spine. What next? Feeling herself up? Oh god, please no. Emma was tortured enough as it was already without having some kind of existential crisis over her relationship with the object of her desires while getting it on in the shower. She blushed just thinking about it.

Oh no. Regina was looking at her. Quick, look away!

"Emma!" Ruby's shout snapped Emma from her thoughts and she jumped about three feet in the air, not having noticed the waitress standing in front of her. "Hey, sorry if I startled you. But are you okay? You seem out of it today." She asked, actually pressing her palm to Emma's forehead as if feeling for a temperature.

No one noticed how Regina's eyes narrowed dangerously, gleaming angrily in the light.

That should be my hand touching Swan's forehead- not that… that… argh!

"I'm fine, Rubes." Emma responded, pushing Ruby's hand away, unused to being cared for.

Ha! Take that you skimpy clothes wearing hussy! Regina smirked evilly, watching on like a panther ready to strike. Only I can touch her. Granted that was to punch her in the face but that's beside the point.

"Just tired." Emma continued upon seeing Ruby's disbelieving expression.

"Well…" Ruby began uncertainly, examining the Sheriff closely. "If you say so. I can still get you that bear claw though. I know how you like them." She practically sang the last part, grinning while she leaned against the table.

Emma smiled indulgently and shrugged, "Can't say no to a bear claw. Thanks Rubes."

Ruby's smile widened if ever that was possible and leaned back once more, "Sure! Let me refill that for you too."

Ruby had to smother that self-satisfied smirk that wanted to spread on her face when she saw how bothered the Mayor looked. Someone didn't like having the Sheriff approached, huh? Well let's see who one out first. Ruby was tired of seeing them dance around each other. She was going to make them realize they liked each other if it was the last flirt she ever initiated.

Regina stared at Emma, wondering just why the Sheriff's schedule had changed recently. It started two and a half weeks before, when Regina had been having a relaxing morning. She'd decided to spend some time in the Diner while she drank her coffee rather than take the time to drive back to her office and settle down before having a drink. She'd brought along paperwork she needed to finish from the day before, even, so she'd have something to do.

Emma had run in from the downpour, for it had been a rainy morning- another reason Regina stayed-, sopping wet. Regina had watched her trudge to the counter before being herded off by Granny to change clothes. The notion piqued Regina's curiosity (and jealousy, though she'd not admit it) and she had slipped into the back after Granny came back, wanting to know why Emma (oh, that name made her flutter inside) had clothing to change into there.

The sight of a shirtless Emma Swan burned into her retinas and took her breath away that day. Same went for that damned lace bra. Even now, Regina felt her nosebleed coming back full force just thinking about it.

Every day from then on, she came to the Diner at the same time for her morning coffee and some paperwork. It wasn't as if she was doing this just to see the Sheriff. That aggravating, stubborn, beautiful, mule of a woman. She just liked her coffee and the background noise of other patrons gave her distractions. It helped to keep track of people too, if she needed to know where they were. Such as Miss Swan. She only memorized the woman's schedule to know exactly where she'd be at what time so she wouldn't waste minutes to hours of her day tracking the Sheriff down.

It wasn't stalking. Not really.

"Gods…" Regina knew it was a lie even as she thought it, sighing heavily and cradling her forehead in one hand. "I'm transforming into that insufferable teacher."

Ruby walked past just then, pulling the Mayor out of her thoughts. She looked back up to watch to next scene unfold before her, trying in vain to brace herself against the jealousy that shot through her whenever people got buddy-buddy with Miss Swan.

"Here you are, my favorite Sheriff!" Ruby beamed, placing Emma's plate of two fresh bear claws in front of her, following it up with a hot cocoa.

"Only Sheriff, more like." Emma smirked, looking down at her plate. She blinked at seeing two rather than one bear claws. "Two?" she asked, raising the new cup of hot cocoa to her lips. Emma didn't recall asking for two.

But Ruby only leaned forward until her mouth was level with Emma's ear. The blonde was just swallowing when the waitress whispered, "Compliments of our own lovely Mayor…"

Emma's mind instantly went to the gutter, and a flash of Regina being the one whispering in her ear burned behind her eyes. Her hot breath tickling her sensitive skin, those red, red lips pressing against the shell of her ear, their bodies melting together with nothing separating them from each other.

The poor Sheriff blushed so hard and so fast that Ruby herself had to wonder what she was thinking about. Her eyes were wide and staring straight ahead, completely unfocused on the here and now. Emma gulped down the scalding liquid, not even noticing the burn her tongue had just acquired, nor the way both Regina and Ruby were now watching on in rapt attention, feeling rather out of the loop. Emma was never going to salvage her panties at this point.

Oh gods. Emma looks so adorable blushing like that. No wait! Don't think like that Regina! Get a hold of yourself! … But still… No wait! Locked in an internal battle Regina decided to try, key word here, to ignore how much Emma's cute expression made her want to wrap her in a tight hug and never let go. Instead she busied herself with thoughts of just what that former she-wolf whispered in her ear.
How dare she get so close to my Swan! Wait a minute Regina, she isn't exactly yours… Ah, to hell she isn't! She is mine and that is final! But she never said she was… And once again, she found herself fighting within her mind, too distracted to see Ruby saunter off. Not before sneaking a peek at the practically steaming Mayor though, making said waitress feel slightly guilty, slightly sympathetic, and really pleased. Her plan might just be working. If not helping her to sign her own death warrant.

It took Emma a good few minutes to get herself back under control enough to at least remember where she was. Her eyes fell back to the mug held tightly in her sweating palms and she took a deep, shaky breath in an attempt to gather herself for the day ahead.

The light-headed buzzing in her brain wouldn't go away though, and nor would that image. Why, why did she have to have such an over-reactive imagination? Seriously, this wasn't the first time she had dazed off so effectively with scenarios of Regina playing on loop.

The first time Emma had taken to making herself some coffee in the station. She had been staring at the black liquid within the mug and her mind had gone right to the color of Regina's hair. Her mind promptly came up with ideas and questions as to what the Mayor's scent was like, or what it would feel like to run her fingers through that silky-looking mane of dark brown hair.
The resulting blush didn't leave even an hour later when said Mayor had barged into her office demanding some paperwork. Emma had been too dazed to pay attention and stared at Regina's hair with twitchy fingers until the woman snapped her fingers in front of her face to get her attention. Needless to say, Emma hadn't the chance to come up with an excuse before the Mayor ordered her to get the paperwork (whatever it had been) and left altogether.

The second time had been caused by Emma's jealousy toward inanimate objects Regina touched. Or rather, the next several times whether she was in audience with the Mayor or not. Such as when Emma had been trying to sleep one night and out of literally nowhere (she had been thinking about Mary-Margret's chocolate chip cookies) an image of Regina calling her up to fulfill Graham's old 'job' popped in her head; save for the fact she actually stayed instead of jumping off the roof like some overgrown monkey.

It had been very frustrating, and as time wore on Emma found herself getting more and more fed up with her fantasies- considering they would never come true.

A rag suddenly pressed against her face and Emma jolted in her seat again only to see it was Ruby with a look of worry on her face. Man, she had to stop doing that. Emma wasn't usually so jumpy but with her mind so damned preoccupied she couldn't find it in herself to be able to pay consideration to what she was doing at the same time.

"Sheesh Ems, what's with the nosebleed? You okay?" Ruby questioned, holding the rag to Emma's nose. She realized all too late that she had been letting her nose bleed for five minutes while she thought back on her fantasies and hadn't even noticed. With Regina staring at her from her own booth across the Diner. Why did she look so pissed off though?

That should be me tending to her nosebleed! And what was she thinking about that made her blush like that anyway? Let alone make her bleed. A thought suddenly struck Regina and her eyes widened. She blinked, processing this.
Perhaps… she was thinking about…? No, that's ridiculous. Don't make assumptions, Regina. And why was she staring at my hair again? I swear, she does that too much. But it's kind of flattering… in its own… weird… way. Nevermind.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Emma replied, taking the rag from Ruby gratefully. The waitress took a step back and leaned against the table, still staring at the Sheriff with worried puppy-like eyes. Emma would never build resistance to that look.

"Right, you said that ten minutes ago. When you totally spaced out because you're 'tired'. You know, maybe you should call in sick today. Not much is happening anyway." Ruby suggested with a shrug. Emma sighed, padding against her gushing nose. She would love to skip out on paperwork for the day but she wouldn't have anything else to do if she did, and no doubt the Mayor herself would show up to drag her back to the station if she tried.

"No, it's alright. I need to get some paperwork done. Besides, I can catch a nap once I'm done." Emma said the last bit with some conspiratorial tone, causing Ruby to laugh, knowing how much Emma loved to curl up and take naps when she got bored.

"Alright, Lemur. Just make sure to take care on your way out- the steps are still slick from the storm last night." She grinned, passing a to-go cup to the Sheriff to pour the rest of her cocoa in. Emma did so while Ruby stuffed her forgotten bear claws into a bag.

Once she was all set Emma stood, rag still wiping away blood every couple seconds. That damned image needed to go away before it would dry up, Emma though sadly. Which meant it would be awhile. She would have to take her afternoon nap earlier today, then. After all, her Regina centric dreams usually released a little bit of pressure. Enough for her nose to calm the fuck down, anyway.

Suddenly remembering Ruby told her it was Regina who ordered her a second bear claw, Emma turned to look at the woman. Their eyes instantly magnetized, and Emma's nose promptly reacted with another gush of blood. She cursed under her breath and wiped it away, embarrassed and expecting a glare when she looked back up. Instead, she saw a tiny blush tingeing the Mayor's cheeks. Oh god! Please, don't let her know I was fantasizing about her!

"Uh… thanks Madam Mayor!" Emma said quickly, before rushing out of the Diner.

For what…? Regina thought, blinking in confusion.

Ruby just smiled.

A/N: I don't know if I should continue this and make it a two-shot or not. I'll let you guys decide that for me, alright? For now, I'll just leave it as complete.

Thank you for reading and reviewing! I do appreciate it, everyone.