"Whoa, where's the fire?" Emma hears her roommate joke from behind her but doesn't stop what she's doing. Emma continues to move quickly around the room throwing stuff into her suitcase.
"I fell asleep last night before I could finish packing." Emma says as she opens one of her dresser drawers and just grabs random items to put in her bag.
"I thought I told you to do that a week ago." Lacey can't help but smirk.
"Yeah, yeah." Emma zips the bag and grabs her phone and keys. "Give me a ride to the airport?" She grins.
"And what if I wouldn't have come home this morning?"
That only makes Emma smile grow wider. She's always reminded of her best friend, Regina, whenever Lacey uses her motherly voice on her.
Emma met Lacey three days after being in the dorm room by herself. Her original roommate had switched schools over the summer, leaving the spot open. Emma though...well more so hoped, that it would stay that way. But nope. Three days after freshman move in day, Lacey came walking through the door with three suitcases and a smile. They instantly became friends.
Emma has come to really know and like Lacey within the five months that they've been living together. They both grow up in small towns, like to seek adventure, both attending school on an academic scholarship and have a love for knowledge and studying but also know how to let their hair down and have a good time. Let's just say, Emma has been to her fair share of college parties.
"I still have a few days before I leave for home. Let me know if you need me to send you anything from the room or something."
See, it's that sweetness right there that makes Lacey the best roommate Emma could have asked for.
"Sure thing. I'll call you when I land." They share a quick hug before Emma walks into the airport.
Hours after being on a plane, Emma finally lands in Boston. After making her way to bagged claim, Emma makes a break for the exit.
"Finally!" Emma grins when she sees Ruby standing there with a playful scroll on her face.
"Oh can it." Emma says before dashing over and pulling the other girl into a bone crushing hug.
They don't waste a minute before catching up on each other's lives once they get into the car and on the road. Ruby filling her in on some of the town gossip. While Emma went to school across the country, Ruby decided to stay close to home and go to school in Boston, giving her the luxury of making the not too long drive home whenever she wanted.
"So where to first?"
While Emma wants to go straight over to Regina's place, she knows she owes her parents the visit just as much. I meant their her prarents, right?
"Home, I guess. I need to see my parents and drop my stuff off."
Ruby rolls her eyes at the answer. "Oh please, Emma. I know you want to go see Regina and Henry. It's been months." Ruby says with a knowing smirk.
They've been best friends since fifth grade. Ruby, Regina and Emma. Always getting into something. Ruby's one of the few that really really know Emma Swan.
She knows how Emma had beat herself up over not coming home for not only Christmas but spring break. The Charmings had decided they wanted to see Emma's living arrangments since only Mary Margaret had got to drop her off at college. And then for spring break Emma just told everyone she wasn't coming home.
Ruby was there to see the way Regina had took it. Yeah Regina was upset when Emma didn't get to come home for Christmas but she really took it to heart when Emma refused to come home for spring break. They hasn't seen each other since days after thanksgiving. Emma hadn't seen Henry since then.
"I..."Emma opens her mouth respond but she doesn't know what to say.
"Shut it." Ruby makes a right turn. "To the Mills residence it is."
Emma stays silent as they make the drive to her other best friends place. Emma nerves start to really kick in when they pull up to the apartment building. Emma's never been here before so that just makes her that much more nervous.
Ruby gets out the car and heads toward the building without a care in the world while Emma slowly follows behind.
"Emma suck it up." Ruby's calls over her shoulder. "Even if she's mad at you, she still wants to see you."
Emma's not so sure. After her absence over spring break, Regina hasn't been calling as much and she'd cut the conversations short whenever Emma called. Last week when Emma mentioned the day and time she'd be getting into Boston, she was met with silence. She had been hoping that Regina would volunteer to come pick her up. No such luck.
That's when she decided that she'd come home a few days earlier then planned and surprise her best friend. Now she's not so sure if this was a good idea.
Before she can think too much about it, they are standing at Regina's door with Ruby pounding on it.
Ruby quickly puts a hand on the peephole.
"You must not want to get in if you have your hand up to the door like that." Emma can't help but smile when she hears Regina's sassy voice.
"It's me." Ruby says. "I gotta surprise for you."
"Ruby I don't have time for your games." Emma hear the lock click before the door starts to swing open. "I'm trying to get my school work done before I have to go get Henry." Regina says without giving her guest a glance. Emma was standing off to the side so Regina wouldn't have saw her anyway.
"Hey, don't let me stop you." Ruby's holds in her laughter as they follow Regina further into the small apartment.
Regina huffs and starts to turn to address Ruby. "Really Ru-EMMA!" Regina stops in stares for a good couple of seconds before a grin takes over her face and she's in Emma's arms.
Regina is literally on Emma. Legs wrapped around her waist, head buried in her neck and arms squeezing tight.
All the worry leaves Emma's body.
"It's good to see you too!" Emma laughs and squeeze Regina back before letting her down. They stay in a lose embrace. Regina's arms resting on the blondes shoulders as Emma holds her hips.
"I thought you weren't getting in for a few more days?"
Emma shrugs. "I missed home."
Regina smiles and they countinue to stare at each other until Ruby interrupts.
"Why don't I go pick up Henry. That way you guys can catch up."
Regina steps out of the blonde arms when she remembers that they are not alone.
"Are you sure? I can get him."
"It's okay. I need to check in with granny anyway. I've been out running errands all day. I'll take the little guy for milkshakes."
Regina nods and Ruby leaves.
"So...do I get a tour?"
Emma spends the next ten minutes following Regina around the small apartment. She can tell that Regina is feeling a little insecure about how small the apartment is and the neighborhood. It's not necessarily a bad neighborhood or a bad apartment, but it is a lot different then where Regina grew up.
Regina father passed away when they were in the seventh grade. Her relationship with her mom never was the best and it only gotten worse when Regina had gotten pregnant halfway through her junior year of high school.
Cara, Regina's mother, was not sympathetic or understanding at all. She made it quite clear that she was disappointed in Regina. And while she continued to let Regina live in her home, she didn't make it easy at all. That's when Regina made a promise and a plan. She promised herself that she would never subject her child to such a negative attitude and planned to do whatever she had to do to get out of that house.
So Regina got herself a job at Granny's as a waitress for the summer. Granny was nice enough to let her continue to work part time during the school year and after she gave birth. With the help of her best friends, Granny, and Emma's parents, Regina was able to graduate high school and enroll in community college. She continued to save and used what money she got back from the school loans to get their apartment shortly after the new year.
Regina was proud of what she's done. She doesn't know why she's so insecure about it now. She's was so excited to show Emma the apartment just months ago.
"I love it." Emma says as she throughs herself onto the futon in the living room. Regina had yet to inquire real furniture. "It's so homey."
"Thanks." Regina says quietly while looking away from Emma. "Um...I'm still working on it."
Emma frowns when Regina refuses to make eye contact. What happened to the excited Regina that jumped into her arms when she arrived? Where did this shy Regina come from.
"I love it." Emma reassures her, reaching out to pull Regina down next to her.
Regina's tenses before letting herself lean into Emma's side.
"You didn't come home for spring break."
"I know." Emma braces herself for a fight. They never really got around to talking about it. Regina just mostly ignored her.
"I missed you."
Emma is shocked when Regina just grabs her hand and squeeze.
"I missed you too."
TBC