Emma is crowned Prom King.
It happens a little like this:
Ruby is sad because her show about singing high school misfits is over, so she forces Emma to binge-watch it all from the beginning one weekend. Because, apparently, this is what girlfriends do when their girlfriend is heartbroken over the end of a show. Emma isn't very good at the whole relationship thing, but she's calling bullshit – but she's also trying to be a good girlfriend, so she braces herself and settles in Ruby's bed, and does her best not to wince when the show stomps on a song she loves.
She probably deserves the Girlfriend of the Year Award, at that point.
The writing is cringe-worthy, the acting is just as bad, and she isn't even talking about how some of the so-called highschoolers look just as old as their annoying teacher. But then again she watches a zombie show where the little blonde teenager is – was played by a woman in her thirties, so who is she to judge the ways of Hollywood, huh?
And, okay, maybe the binge-watching isn't half bad, because it involves a lot of kissing and even some heavy petting with Ruby. Which, always great, if you ask Emma. Also, there is popcorn and drinks and Ruby's bed is comfortable (but she already knew that, thank you very much). So maybe she complains for the sake of complaining, because that's how Emma rolls – her best friend calls her prickly, which Emma resents. Still, Elsa has a point, more often than not.
They're well into the show when Ruby points to the screen. "We should do that."
"What? Being bullied by the whole school during prom night? Yeah, I'll pass."
(The only reason they aren't bullied as it is, is because Ingrid scares the students, and Granny scares them even more. Also, both women refuse to serve people who give shit to their girls for dating each other. So, there's that.)
"Nooooo," Ruby goes on, pointed to the screen once more. "We should stand in the election." She lets her head fall backwards on Emma's shoulder, looked up at her even if she must sees the blonde upside down. "Queen and Queen of Prom."
Emma snorts. "Sure, and who'll vote for us?"
"People. Everyone!" Ruby is getting excited by now, jumping into a sitting position, cross-legged against Emma. She starts talking with her hands, which never is a good thing. "We do posters, and we launch the best campaign Storybrooke High ever saw! Granny will help with cupcakes, and Ingrid with ice cream, obviously, so we gain the public's sympathy…"
With a groan, Emma lets her head fall against the cushion. She rubs her eyes beneath her glasses and, for a moment, hates how energetic and quick on her feet Ruby is. Her best quality, as much as her biggest flaw.
"We're not going to be elected Queen and Queen of the Prom."
Ruby offers her that wolfish grin of hers, and Emma knows – that's it, she's doomed. "Wanna bet?"
She's never been one to refuse a challenge.
…
Anna gets a little (read: way too much) excited over the idea of them campaigning. Elsa is more quiet on the subject, shaking her head with a tiny smile, but she also says "it is time someone shakes Storybrooke's old habits" so Emma counts it as a win. They have at least two votes, which is always something. (Three, when Anna trades Kristoff's vote for a date with her.)
And, as Ruby told her, Granny makes enough cupcakes to feel an army, all decorated with little R&E on top of them. They make posters, and badges, and even t-shirts, and soon enough it is the only thing the school is talking about – how the two lesbians are running for the prom crown. (Emma ignores the fact that they're erasing her identity, because it would take too long to explain.) (She also ignores the not so kind words people use instead of "lesbians" sometimes.)
The biggest surprise, though, comes in the person of Mary Margaret. She and David are the big favourites for the crown, if only because they've been dating since they were in kindergarten and are madly in love with each other. Emma knows that, no matter how hard Ruby tries, the stuff of fairytales always wins.
The surprise, then, comes in the person of Mary Margaret, who announces that she and David are withdrawing from the competition. And are urging people to vote for Emma and Ruby because, and Emma quotes, "they make such an adorable couple, don't you think?"
(She doesn't. She's moody and a bitch and she hates cuddling; Ruby is too loud, too fast, too everything. Cute is the last word anyone would ever use for them.)
They're still competing against Regina my-mother-will-hear-about-this Mills and her boyfriend-who-cheated-on-his-other-girlfriend-for-her Robin Locksley, though, so Emma knows better than to get excited about it. She doesn't even want the crown, anyway.
(She does like to win, though, so there's that.)
(Okay, she totally wants to win, if only to watch Regina's face when she loses.)
…
In the end, Emma isn't sure if people are going to vote for her or against Regina. It's hard to tell, really, because it is a popularity contest more than anything, and neither she nor Ruby have ever been the popular type. They gain the sympathy of popular people along the way, though – Milah comes to sit with them a lunch once, dragging her boyfriend with them. Emma and Killian refuse to make eye contact all through the lunch period (she remembers that summer two years ago alright and, if his reaction is anything to go by, so does he), but Milah is smiling and laughing and doing everything to show her support.
The craziest things happen too – Aurora comes out during that time period, because all the rainbows everywhere apparently gave her enough courage to open up about her own sexuality. Which leads to Mulan falling face first on the floor when she hears about it, red and embarrassed even with hope in her eyes. They… inspire people, for lack of a better word. There are the hateful ones, of course, there always will. But most people are kind and supportive and happy for them, and after a while Emma no longer believes people are only doing it to ruffle Regina's feathers.
Maybe she's wrong and it will come back to slap her in the face.
She enjoys it while it lasts.
…
She pulls on a pretty dress – a light pink; red might be her colour, but it suits Ruby better – and pulls her hair into a ponytail and lets Ingrid do her makeup because her fingers are trembling too much for her to draw a straight black line over her eyes.
As much as she's pretended not to be nervous up until now, it seems like all her emotions have come crashing down tonight and she's left a mess of nerves and anxious feelings. Emma has never been all that fond of parties to begin with – too many people, the music too loud, the drinks not spiked enough – but tonight is only worse.
Because tonight is important and, even if she was good at saying she didn't care all that much, she's actually quiet anxious to hear the results. Mostly because she knows how important this is to Ruby – or so she tells herself, because openly admitted that she cares about something isn't the kind of behaviour Emma is used to.
She gets into her yellow bug after a last wave to Ingrid and drives to Ruby's, where she picks her girlfriend for the night. Granny forces them to take a picture, of course, as they stand awkwardly in front of the stairs, smiles a little too forced for their own good.
Still, Emma has fun. The music is surprisingly good and Victor Whale managed to put some vodka in the punch when the teachers weren't watching, and Graham Humbert, the ever-lovely quarterback, asks both Emma and Ruby to dance. At the same time. It makes things messy as they keep walking on people's feet and laugh way too loudly, but Emma does have fun – perhaps it is all that matters.
Especially when she slowly dances with Ruby's forehead pressed to her shoulder, fingers entwined – if only for one song, it is just the two of them, in their little bubble, whispering the lyrics to the other's ear and smiling like the fools in love they so desperately are.
When comes the end of the night, and with it the results, Ruby's nails dig into her hand until they leave marks. Emma holds on just as tightly, biting on her thumb as Mr Gold, the principal, gives the usual speech before showing them the envelop with a flourish of the hand. Everyone is around them, Mary Margaret and David to her right, Milah and Killian to Ruby's left, Elsa and Anna and Kristoff behind, as they anxiously wait for Gold to stop pulling on a show of opening the envelop with the slowest movements known to earth.
"And this year's King and Queen are…"
Emma doesn't hear her own name – all she hears are the screams of her friends, so loud it makes her ears ring a little. All she feels is the pressure of Ruby's hand against her skin, and she wouldn't even be surprised if her girlfriend managed to draw blood, with nails so sharp.
She's a trembling mess as she makes it on stage – has no idea how she makes it on stage, to be honest, but they make it work with Ruby pulling on her hand and David pushing her softly.
Gold doesn't know what to do at first, but then Ruby grabs the Queen's crown and puts it on her head. Which leaves Emma with the King's crowd, not that she minds. Hell, an alien spaceship could crash in the middle of the gymnasium right now, and she wouldn't mind either.
When Ruby kisses her, giddy and excited and jumping up and down, it's with an "I won!" on the tip of her tongue.
Emma knows she isn't talking about the crown.
She laughs.
…
She wakes up two days later to "dykes" written in big red letters on the windows of her yellow bug.
Ingrid gives her a brush and bucket, grabs one of her own.
Life goes on.