As she took Regina's hand in hers, Snow was shocked to see tears. Regina had never cried in front of her before. Snow had seen her on the brink, tears threatening to come, but Regina always managed to tamp them down until she could be alone. Even in the darkest moments, and they'd shared a lot of them, Regina refused to let the younger woman see her weak.
But something had changed today, and Snow knew it. The way they'd talked earlier, just the two of them. The way Regina kept putting herself between Snow and Cora's spirit, trying to protect her.
It wasn't quite forgiveness, but it was a start.
Snow brought a hand up to brush away Regina's tears, their eyes meeting. Regina didn't put up her walls, leave the room in a huff, slap that hand away. Instead, she gave Snow something almost like a smile.
Snow didn't even know what she was saying. Something about putting the past behind them. The words just kept spilling out, but she didn't pay any attention to them. Regina looked so pretty when she cried, and Snow had never seen her so open. It brought her back to sixteen, when she'd first realized that her interest in her stepmother went beyond admiration.
It had been upsetting at the time and utterly wrong. But Regina wasn't her stepmother any longer. Snow wasn't quite sure what they were to each other, except that it was changing all the time.
Regina was looking at her expectantly now, and Snow realized that her rambling had dried up. She was still clutching one of Regina's hands, still cupping her face, and Regina hadn't moved away. If anything, she seemed closer now, although Snow was sure that was an illusion.
Snow cleared her throat and brought one hand back into her lap, but Regina wasn't letting go of the other. She could feel the blush rising on her face as those brown eyes bored into her and Regina absently stroked Snow's knuckles with her thumb.
"I hope you know I love you," Snow finally said, and those were certainly not the words she'd wanted to say. They were true, of course, but there was no chance that Regina would say them back. She hadn't loved Snow as a stepdaughter, as an enemy, as an ally, and she didn't love her now.
"I know," Regina replied. "I…" Snow cringed, waiting for the inevitable rejection. "I care for you deeply, Snow."
That brought a smile to the younger woman's lips. "How deeply?"
Regina's expression went coy, and Snow was sure she'd melt on the spot. Men had looked at her that way, certainly, but never Regina. And since they'd already crossed so many lines today, Snow leaned forward and kissed her.
Once again, no shoving, no yelling. Regina kissed her back, squeezing her hand almost painfully.
When Snow pulled back, just enough to stop the kiss but not enough to necessitate eye contact, Regina brushed fingers over her short hair. "I don't want to be alone tonight," she admitted in a surprisingly small voice.
Snow supposed she should stop being surprised about everything. "You shouldn't be." Not after all that had happened. Regina's house had been invaded by both Cora and Zelena, and Snow knew that Cora was still capable of inflicting pain on her daughter even after death. "I'll stay."
Regina tilted her head just so and caught Snow's lips again.