"No, you idiot, because I love you!"
The brutal honesty of those words blow Emma's carefully planned speech about heroic sacrifice and it being the right thing to do out of the water.
She studies Regina. Her face is tight, her eyes pleading, arms tremble, her knuckles are white, as she grips the dagger, the one bearing her name. Emma Swan.
Love. Fuck.
And in that moment, words Emma locked away inside her heart, ones she hoped would never ever see daylight, slip out.
"Than you understand why I had to save you."
And Emma turns, and Emma runs, because that is what she is good at.
Written for the 108 word ficlet challenge.
#believeinswanqueen