Emma couldn't specify what exactly had woken her. Whether it was the extra weight in the bed, the spicy scent of Regina's magic, or the soft, muffled whimpers coming from the woman who had materialised in the bed beside her, Emma jerked awake in confusion.
"Regina?" She whispered blearily. What on earth was the former queen doing in her bed? Another tiny sob. She heaved herself onto an elbow and peered over at the brunette.
Her son's other mother was still asleep; her body shivering slightly, face tightened in distress, and weeping softly. Emma's brow furrowed. She contemplated shaking the brunette awake, but hesitated due to the awkward shitstorm she had no doubt would follow. A tiny moan caused a pang of empathy and she reached out hesitantly.
As soon as her fingers touched Regina's shoulder, the brunette turned fully towards her in her slumber, pushing against the contact. Emma reached up further and pushed a lock of hair back from a damp cheek. Regina leaned into the touch with a shuddering sigh. Emma looked down at her in consternation. She felt an almost overwhelming urge to try to comfort her further. She wondered if anyone had ever comforted Regina in the night before and doubted it. On occasion she had woken up to Neal trying to hold her to ward off her own nightmares during their relationship - right around the same time she'd subconsciously punch or knee him in sensitive parts of his anatomy.
Another shiver brought her thoughts back to the woman who had suddenly materialised in her bed. With extreme care, she shuffled slightly closer and ran her hand through dark locks, over a shoulder and down Regina's back. It was apparently all the urging the brunette needed, she moved directly into her accidental bedmate, moulding herself to Emma's side and nestling her face against her shoulder.
Emma's eyebrows raised almost to her hairline. She gazed down at the other woman, and watched as the tremor and sobs eased completely, and the lines on her face smoothed away. Sighing, she lowered herself slowly and gently back down, trying not to jostle Regina, and forced herself to relax. There was going to be hell to pay in the morning.
The next time Emma awoke it was definitely the removal of the extra weight from her bed AND the spicy scent of Regina's magic that roused her. And a half-remembered, half-dreamed vision of an expression of fondness.