A/N: So, this is for Swan Queen Week Prompt 5: Best Friend Romance. Also, this is my first upload! (Yay!) I used to write for another fandom, but I've fell out of writing, so this is not the great, excuse me! This story is loosely based on the movie, the biggest inspiration came from this post on Tumblr by Helenastacie2's post. I want to get back into writing because I want to improve. So, please comment with any criticisms. I know that I need help with characterization, so please feel free to criticize!
"I'm telling you Emma, this is going to work!" The brunette crunched down on another French fry, her eyes beaming bright behind her glasses.
A slight curve turned up on Emma's mouth before taking another bite out of her sandwich. Her best friend's multicolored fingers danced in the air before pushing her glasses up on her nose. Emma had definitely seen this look before.
They had sat at their regular table in the cafeteria, the hall busily with students going in and out as other carried on with whatever conversations and gossiping that were taking place. The cafeteria population somehow always managed to segregate themselves by either majors or clicks, except for the table of brothers who all happened to be under five feet tall. If Emma hadn't graduated over two years ago, she'd swear she was back in high school.
Finally eighteen, being out of the foster system, and a straight A student in high school, Emma had earned a full scholarship to Storybrooke University as a chemistry major. The school itself resembled a castle, having five main towers with represented different departments, such as science, art, literature, etc. The resident halls followed the medieval theme, her hall, Mifflin Hall, being the biggest one. Emma had stood outside the entrance, her two old, leather-worn luggage bags in hand, as she watched other freshmen scurried inside, their parents sporting smiles of pride. She was sure one of these preppy girls was her roommate, probably some type of liberal arts major. Figures.
The teen sighed, making her way to her room, 108. And it was then she met her now best friend, or rather met her back. The brunette had been busy placing up her periodic table above her bed, a poster of the parts of the brain above her desk. Maybe it was then she knew; before even seeing her face, Emma knew that she and Regina would be good friends. But what she didn't count on is what would come after.
They had survived two and a half years of Storybrooke University together. All the while, both chemistry majors had been working on the same research project; a psychochemistry field related project of making the love potion no. 9. The whole thing had started off as a joke; Professor Blanchard had stated in their biology class that the mating of any species was based upon true love. But Regina had instantly become attached to the theory, wanting to find out the actual chemistry of love and if someone, by simply taking a serum of different chemical stimuli, could in fact cause one to fall in love with another. And Regina has been fascinated ever since, trying to unlock a potion that could make someone fall in love.
And of course, they had failed to actually produce the "potion," only coming close when Pongo, the school counselor's dog and deemed laboratory mascot accidentally licked the serum and wanted to hump everything in sight for almost a week. But Regina never gave up on the experiment, even with the countless recommendations from various professors in the science department that she should. That was one of the things Emma loved about Regina; her determination was like no other. And so because of that Emma had stuck by Regina throughout the whole project, fail after fail. But spending more and more time with Regina, Emma found other things she loved about the brunette in glasses. And she knew it wasn't because of a love potion.
Emma could pinpoint actually when she knew she had feelings for her best friend. May be it was the many times Regina would change clothes in their dorm room in front of her. Or may be countless nights Emma would find Regina asleep peacefully at her desk after pulling an all-nighter, waking her gently to get her into bed. She was pretty sure it was the times that Regina simply was there for her. Emma never had a solid friend growing up, let alone someone she felt she could call her best friend. She had always been different from any of the other kids and often shy away from people. But Emma found that Regina had made it easier for her to be 'Emma.'
A French fry to the face brought Emma back.
"Emma, come back to Earth!" Regina singed, laughing at the jolt she gave to Emma. "Where did you go?"
Emma tried to breathe deeply, almost forgetting how to speak. She was caught once again by chocolate orbs which happily stared at her. It made Emma feel warm, as if the brunette was somehow radiating warmth to her through her eyes. She removed her glasses to clean them with her shirt. "Out of town," she joked.
"Yeah? Well next time take me."
Catching her smile, Emma returned it, dipping her head as to hide her blushing.
"Hey, did you two hear?" The black and bright red haired art major whispered as she slid into the seat next to Emma. It wasn't a great surprise that Ruby colored her hair for the third time that month. Ruby was able to somehow mesh fashion with gothic; her monochromatic outfits of the various different shades of red and black with chain linked metal.
Ruby reached over grabbing a French fry from Emma's tray, "Robin and Marian broke up yesterday."
Emma could see Regina sit up in her seat, her full attention on Ruby.
"Why? What happened?" Regina spoke quickly.
"I don't know. Everyone heard them fighting at the frat party yesterday. I saw her yelling at him. Then she stormed out."
"You mean he finally broke up with the cheerleader princess?" Regina stifled back a chuckle. "I'm shocked."
"Wow, they've been together since high school," Emma added, her mind reeling from the news.
As if on cue, Robin walked into the cafeteria, his usual bravado stride about him. Emma looked over as the brunette's eyes were set on Robin, watching his every move. As the quarterback made his way to the rest of his teammates, it wasn't only Emma who noticed Regina's staring.
"Regina, may you could use that love potion on him?" Regina lowered her eyes letting out a soft chuckle. "Well," Ruby stole another one of Emma's French fries before standing, "I gotta get to class. I'll see you later."
"Wow. I never thought those two would ever break up." Emma spoke, but she could see that Regina's gaze wasn't lost on Robin. She watched Regina stare, the twisting in her stomach making her feel sick. After a while a muffled "come on" escaped Regina as she gathered her things before trying to pull Emma along.
"What!? I'm not done!" Standing up, Emma shoved as many of her remaining fries into her mouth, washing them down with the rest of her soda.
"Take it with you! Let's go!"
The laboratory greeted each person with the aroma of burnt chemicals and acetone from the hallway. The outdated university hadn't really updated any of their chemical technology or chemical instrumentation since the 1980s. They were lucky to receive new EKG and EEG machines last year, which of course were used.
The two were well accustomed to the laboratory, both moving in sync as one prepared solutions while the other set up the equipment. It was waltz between as two as they seemed to dance around the room and one another, knowing exactly when to stop to let the other pass or when to step over a sleeping Pongo. The routine would go on for hours, chemicals lacing the air between them. After an hour of their waltz, Dr. Nolan finally entered, watching the two go about the lab before speaking up.
"Hey, you two. I need to tell you something."
The girls looked up through protective googles, taking them off alongside their gloves before joining their research professor.
Regina smiled, "What's up, Dr. Nolan?"
A sigh escaped him and Emma knew that whatever news it was, it was far from being good.
"Dr. Gold doesn't want to fund your research anymore."
Regina's eyebrows knitted into confusion at the statement "What!?" She threw her hands in the air furiously, "He can't do this!"
"Regina, he's president of the school, he can. He says because your research hasn't turned up any successful results he doesn't want to fund it any longer." David bowed his head in defeat, "I'm sorry, girls. I can't find anymore grants to help you and he's right. With no successful trials, this project…it's not going anywhere. He said if you can come up with another project, he'll consider funding. I'm sorry." The professor looked at his watch, "I have class for the next few hours, but stop by my office later so we can come up with a new project."
Regina shook her head, "I don't believe this."
"Sorry, Regina. But may be they're right."
"What? You're siding with him!?"
"No! I just think maybe we should focus on another project, something that they can fund, something we know we can get results out of."
Regina had stopped listening, instead she moved to her backpack opening it to find her notebook. Emma breathed out deeply. She didn't want to betray Regina's ideas on this project, but she knew that once he brunette had an idea, she stuck deeply with it. The blonde saw her friend's eyes grow wide, the scar on her upper lip rising with the corners of her mouth.
Emma approached her friend cautiously, "Oh, no. I know that look."
The brunette's notes were already split onto the work bench as she scoured through them. "If these trials actually show improvement, then they have to reconsider, right? Maybe we need use it on a human subject."
It was as if she had been punched in the stomach. Emma's eyes narrowed, "You mean use it on Robin?"
Regina paused for a moment, "Maybe."
"Regina," Emma sighed, her eyes narrowed on her friend, "this doesn't seem like a good idea. I mean, we've only tested the serum on rats, and it didn't work on any of them. Who says that it will work on a human subject?" It wasn't that Emma didn't know that Regina liked Robin, but the fact that she was willing to go through the risk to have him love her.
Emma knew how the loss of Regina's first love affected her best friend. Daniel had been a sophomore when they were freshmen. And the two were madly in love, leaving Emma just mad. Once Emma had finally realized her feelings for Regina and a month had gone by of her working up the courage to say so, Regina had already fell for Daniel. The two became inseparable, and although she felt tinges of jealousy upon seeing them together, Emma promised to be happy for her best friend and her boyfriend. So when Daniel transferred to another university after that semester, Emma was happy, but Regina was left heartbroken. To tell her the truth then, Emma felt would have been selfish on her part, so she remained quiet. But then entered Robin, who then became the apple of Regina's eye.
The whole bench was blanketed in note written sheets of paper, all showing experiments that had failed. Regina purposely went deaf, trying to desperately find what she was looking for. And once she had, she held it up. "May be we should find out. Let's test it on me."