This is the last part in the trilogy I wrote about David and Regina falling in love. Enjoy :) Listen to the songs Now that I've Found You by Paul McDonald and Get the Girl Back by Hanson... you'll feel so many feels :)


After sleeping a handful of hours, David woke up to Snow banging around in the kitchen. Sitting up and stretching, he forced himself out of bed and into the kitchen.

"Good morning, Charming," Snow said bitingly, when David sat at one of the stools at the island.

"Morning, Snow. I… I'm sorry about last night. I couldn't sleep."

"No, I'd imagine not. What with Regina calling in the middle of the night," she spat, pulling his phone out of her back pocket and slamming it onto the counter.

"Snow… I-I can explain," David offered weakly. He knew there wasn't going to be an explanation that would make her happy. And he truly did feel terrible for cheating on her. More for last night than for the whole time she was in the Enchanted Forest, at least then he could blame it on not having been with her since before the curse.

"What kind of explanation could you have? She was afraid for her life so you went to save our enemy and… what, hung out to have coffee?"

"I… Snow, I… while you were gone, while you were in the Enchanted Forest… Regina and I had an affair," David answered, dropping his head a little. "I wish I could have found a better way to tell you about it. I just… there's no easy way to tell you and I can't keep it from you anymore."

"You… you cheated on me?" Snow asked, her voice high but shaking.

"Yes. I'm sorry."

"Sorry? You're sorry? How far did it go, David?"

"I… I fell in love with her."

"You fell in love with her," Snow deadpanned. "You fell in love with the woman who spent our entire life together trying to kill me, or you to hurt me? How does that even happen?"

"It wasn't supposed to. I can't say anything truer that that. I'm sorry. I… I tried to stop having feelings for her when you guys got back, I stopped seeing her, I chose you. But… I can't help it, and I can't fight it anymore."

"So you've slept with her. Is that how you fell in love? She fucks you better than me?" she spat, her face cold and angry, arms crossed over her chest.

"It… it started as just sleeping together. We both needed something physical to cope with everything that was happening and she showed me who she really was. We had a trust between us because we never intended for anyone to find out we were sleeping together, we trusted each other to keep that secret. And… and through that trust I saw who she really was." David brushed his hand through his hair, sighing heavily as he continued speaking.

"Snow… she helped Henry and me get you and Emma back. Even as we were falling in love with each other and it was going to hurt her so much for you two to return, she helped. She didn't ever use magic while you were gone, except for Daniel and the sleeping curse. She's changed, and nobody sees it except Henry and me. She needs us. We love her."

"If your love for her is so strong, why did our True Love's kiss work?"

"Because I will always love you, Snow. But it's different now. Now I am in love with her and I wouldn't want it any other way. Even as I don't want you to hurt, I just… I can't see continuing to try and live a life that doesn't include her beside me."

"But you can see a life without me there?" Snow asked, her voice tight and pained.

"I—I'm sorry, Snow. Of course I want you in my life forever, just not in the same manner anymore. I tried. I tried so hard to ignore the feelings for her that took me over. I… I couldn't and I don't want to try anymore."

"I… you can't do this to me David."

"I'm sorry, Snow. I really, really am. I… I should probably go pack a bag."

"What, so you can shack up with her?"

"No. I'll be staying at Granny's. Just… you know where to find me if things go wrong."

"They already have, David! You can't leave!"

"I'm sorry I hurt you," he said softly, heading to their bedroom and packing his clothing and his toiletries. Dropping his head as he passed her, David left, tossing his bag to the passenger side of his truck as he climbed in. Driving straight to Regina's, he walked slowly up the path, knocking softly on the door.

"David?" Regina asked, after she opened the door and saw him standing there. He left his bag in the truck, he hadn't been lying to Snow when he told her he'd be at Granny's. He just needed to see Regina first. "What are you doing here?" Her voice was slightly cold, probably angry that he'd left her again after being with her twice.

"I… can I come in?" he asked. Regina obliged, stepping aside and letting him pass her.

"What can I do for you, David?"

"I just came to tell you that I'm sorry I hurt you—again. I'm done hurting you."

Her mind automatically flitted to the belief that he was saying "goodbye" again, that once more he was choosing Snow. "What does that mean, David?"

"I left Snow. I told her everything. I told her I love you more than I can love her. I packed most of my things and I'm going to stay at Granny's. Take all the time you need, I'll give you it, but I don't need anymore. I know what I want. I knew almost right away that Snow was the wrong choice in the first place. I'm sorry that I let you hurt so long."

Regina searched his face, looking for a lie, looking for hesitation or some kind of hint that he was going to change his mind again. "You… you mean it," she said softly, not questioning him, more in awe that he'd made the choice for her.

"I do. I… last night was incredible. Not the sex, though that was amazing as always. Smelling your perfume… the little bit of lipstick left on your lips at the end of the day… the way you move with me, as if we're one instead of one of us following the other's movements. Those are all things I missed and I didn't realize it until last night. You… having you, being with you was everything. Not being with you is painful and torturous."

"David… please don't say things like that. I can't hurt anymore."

"I don't want you to hurt. I want to be with you. I want to come over and have dinner with you and kiss you softly until you can't take it anymore. I want to spend hours and days and years expressing my love to you both through words and through every action I can think of. I want to fall deeper in love, and one day marry you, and have a family with you."

"David—"

"No, Regina," he cut her off, taking her face into his hands and cradling it like she was made of glass. "I mean it. And I'm willing to give you all the time that you need, because I know that you're all that I want. You are my sun and my moon, you brighten every moment of my day and I don't even need to be with you in the moment you do. All it takes is one thought of you, or thinking of your smile… I needed to put my cards on the table, because I'm all in. It will crush me if you don't want me, if you decide I'm not worth the pain I've caused you. And if one day you move on to someone who never spent their time denying how incredible you are, I will be happy for you and I will hate him.

"But Regina… I do love you, and I think that I have since early on after Snow and Emma were dragged into that hat. It hardly took anything for me to realize that you're not at all who I thought you were. And… please let me love you."

"David… stop. You're going to make me cry," Regina forced, a choked laugh following. "You're not going to change your mind again? You're really not?"

"No. I swear… I'm yours, whether or not you want me. Maybe one day I'd be able to move on, but I won't be going back to Snow either way. You're the one I want, Regina.

"You're not going to go back to her?"

"No. I can't go back to her. Part of me will always love her... but now that I've found you I just can't imagine a life without seeing your face smiling at me everyday. I'm going to Granny's, just until I find an apartment—until I find somewhere comfortable."

"What about here?"

"As tempting as that is, I think we should date first, don't you?"

"Of course. I was just testing you."

Giving Regina a smirk, David pulled her against him, hugging her tightly against his chest. "I love you so much, Regina. I can't… you're everything, and I mean that and I will tell you every day for the rest of our lives, I promise. Just let me?"

Regina nodded against his chest, finally letting herself breathe him in. "Please do. I… I would love that, David. And… and I love you."

"Good. Then I'll see you tomorrow evening for a date. I'll pick you up at seven."

"Tomorrow? But… David the town…"

"We'll go to The Rabbit Hole. No one there will care. Please? I want to date you."

"Okay," Regina answered, slightly softly. "I'll be waiting."

Taking her face into his hands once more, David pulled her face up to his, bending his neck carefully and catching her lips in a soft and sweet kiss. When he broke away, he gave her a dopey grin. "I'll see you tomorrow, sweetheart. And uh… I'll call you later?"

"I'd love that."