A/N This is my first SQ fic ever, so please no hate. Enjoy ;)
I don't own Once or its characters, sadly :(
It was a quiet Friday night and Emma Swan was holding her beautiful brunette girlfriend in her sleep. They had dinner together with their son, Henry, and then sat down on the couch together to watch Regina's favorite movie, The Lion King. Regina claims she only likes the movies because it was Henry's favorite when he was little but when it's playing and Emma looks at her face she sees the amazement and enjoyment on her face and she can't help but let her girlfriend watch the movie time after time. She loves to watch the smile light up her face as Simba is reunited with his love.
Regina has her face tucked into Emma's neck and Emma's arms wrapped around the brunette. Emma can hear Regina whimpering into her neck and feel her stirring in her arms. Nightmares used to a constant thing between the two of them, but recently the nightmares have dulled as love has taken over between them. They each know just how to sooth the other and know the center of most nightmares.
Suddenly Regina jumps up in the bed screaming Emma's name at the top of her lungs. The blonde sits up just as fast, setting a hand on her girlfriends back the other under chin turning her to look at her.
"Regina. Sh. It's okay, Regina. I'm right here. Regina, sh, open your eyes. I love you Regina." The blonde says, trying to relax her girlfriend.
Slowly Regina calms and looks into Emma's emerald eyes and kisses her, before climbing into the blondes lap. The short haired brunette hides her face into Emma's neck and sobbing, mumbling about how happy she is that Emma is okay and breathing in her scent to calm the best she can. The sheriff holds her and kisses her head whispering reassurances.
When eventually Regina relaxes, she pulls back and looks Emma in the eyes. She reaches her hand to cup the blonde's cheek and the other at the base of her neck and just stares into those emerald eyes and the sea roaring them calm the rest of fears.
"Hey, are you okay?" The blonde asks, reaching around to clutch Regina's hair.
"Yes. Yeah, I am. I'm okay. I'm okay now. Thank you."
"Anytime Regina. Come on." The blonde says, bringing her down to lay on her chest. "Do you want to talk about it?"
"Uh. Yeah, I do." The brunette takes a deep breath and thinks about how far they've come. After Neverland, the two refused to let Henry out their sight. They did the next best thing, Regina told Emma could move into the mansion, that way they could both keep an eye on Henry. Regina was scared that Emma would take him away from her again and Emma scared that Regina would do the same. Emma stayed in the guest room just between the brunette's and Henry's.
Everything went well with them living together. Perfect, actually. It felt like a real family in a real house. They all loved it. But then the nightmares started. Almost every night, either Regina or the blonde were running into the other room to calm the other. They learned quickly how to soothe the other. One would spend the rest of the night in the others room to make sure they slept peacefully. Until one night when Regina decided that it was too much changing rooms every other night. So she told Emma to start staying in her room.
"Emma?" The brunette is lying in the bed with the sheriff, snuggled up, shielding each other from the dreams. They both lay, staring up at the ceiling, trying to fight off the sleep.
"Yeah, Regina?" The sheriff replies, looking over at Regina.
"Would you.." The brunette looks away, sighing deeply. "Would you like to start staying in my room?" The blonde can't help but smile bright. Regina can't take the silence anymore, taking it as a no. "I was thinking just… It would be easier to help each other, rather than trading room every night."
"Yes, Regina. I would love to." The sheriff smiles bright and kisses the mayors cheek.
The brunette gasps. She never expected that of Emma. She thought that they were just friends helping each other. Maybe even best friends. By now they knew almost every secret of each other and just what the other was thinking without even speaking. By now they could hold entire conversations with just their eyes. The whole town knew of their situation, and not a single person said a word. Not even the people who still saw her as the Evil Queen. The mayor reaches up and touches where Emma's lips just touched her cheek.
The next night, they both lay in Regina's bed together, first starting at their own ends of the bed, and then slowly inching closer together on their own. When Emma wakes up to Regina sobbing, she notices first that Regina has worked her way into Emma's embrace. She then feels the tears dripping from Regina's eyes onto her shoulder.
"Regina. Regina, come on. Wake up, it's just a dream." The sheriff shakes the mayor's shoulder until she starts to stir on her own. Regina wakes and lays against the pillow that the blonde is currently using. Their faces mere inches apart, sharing the same breath. The blonde knows by now that Regina like to talk about her dreams, to get it out and start fresh. "What was this one about?" She whispers into their shared air.
The mayor sighs and nods. "This one… God, this one was different, and so scary, Emma." The blonde just nods, signifying that she is listening. "It was about you Emma." She whispers. The blonde's eyes widen at that. "You… You were trying to save me and Henry, and your magic was drained and Pan…" The blonde grabs Regina's hand, knowing that this dream really bothered her. "You fell to the ground and Pan left. I ran to your side and pulled you into my lap and shook you over and over and…" Sobs take over the mayor's words and the blonde grabs her and pulls her into her arms. "You didn't wake up, Emma. And that scared me. But what scared me the most was that I was scared in the first place." The brunette cry's and pulls out of the embrace to look at Emma's eyes. "Emma..?"
The blonde see's the questions in her eyes. The questions of both of their love and if it's real. And all Emma could was nod and slowly slide her hand from Regina's hand, up her forearm, and shoulder, and then her collarbones, finally resting upon her cheek. The blonde looks the mayor right in the eyes and nods, once again. The brunette nods with her and then Emma leans in, touching the mayors lips with her own in a feather light kiss. She starts to lean back a bit but then Regina takes the lead and leans back in herself, taking Emma's lips between her own. At first all it is, is a passionate kiss. But Emma finds herself wanting more of Regina, so she slides her tongue on Regina's bottom lips and she grants access instantly. They both moan at the feeling. Emma finds herself lost in everything Regina. They finally pull away, needing air. The two rest their foreheads against each other. They look into each other's and can't help but give a little chuckle.
"It was that same dream. The Pan one." Emma sighs and kisses her forehead. This is the last remaining dream that Regina has. When she has a nightmare, it always is this one. Emma sees it as the thing that brought them as close together as possible. Regina looks up at Emma and kisses her jawline.
"Emma?" The brunette questions, still looking up into those emerald eyes she loves so much.
"Yes, Regina?"
"Did you really mean it?" She asks, smiling. She can see the questioning look in her eyes. "That you love me. Did you really mean that you love me?" The brunette sits up, and leans across the blonde. She can see the blush creeping up on Emma's face.
"You uh... You heard that?" The brunette chuckles and nods, looking down at her beautiful girlfriend. "Yeah. Um, yeah I did." She nods, giggling at Regina's face. "I love you, Regina Mills." The brunette really is questioning her hearing at this point.
"You, the Savior, love me, the Evil Queen."
"Yes." She says, leaning up to kiss her. "I." The blonde kisses her nose. "Love." The space between her eyebrows. "You." She finally kisses her lips in a hot, deep, searing kiss. Hoping to convey all her feeling into one kiss. When finally they part for air, Emma smiles and can see Regina smiling just as bright as hers.
"I love you too, Emma. I love you. I love you. I love you." She says smiling and chuckling. Love. It's the most beautiful thing she could experience. It makes her heart race and her head whirl with happiness.
The blonde pulls her girlfriend back down and kisses her forehead. "Let's sleep now okay? Henry will be up in two hours." She feels the brunette nod. She lifts the mayor's head to face her and kisses her one last time. "I love you, Regina."
"I love you too dear." She whispers to her.