"Hey," Emma said when she entered Regina's house. She flashed a tired smile at Regina, who was watching her warily. She put down her keys and started removing her shoes.
"Where's Henry?" asked Regina. She still hasn't gotten up from her seat on the couch in the living room.
Emma sat beside Regina and laid back on the couch. "He's fine. He's with David; they're having burgers at Granny's."
Regina smiled wanly and just looked at Emma, who had her eyes closed, resting on the plush couch.
"So I heard you almost got engaged," Regina said oh-so-casually.
Emma opened an eye and looked at her warily. "It was nothing."
But the look on Regina's face told her it was clearly not 'nothing'.
Emma sighed. "I thought we already talked about this. You said it wasn't my fault that I fell in love with someone else while I didn't remember you. Why are you acting this way now?"
Regina lowered her eyelashes. "You never mentioned you almost got engaged. I was afraid that…you know who I am, and what I've done. Every time we're this close, every time we're together I'm afraid that one day you'll pack up and leave." She heaved a huge sigh.
Emma sighed and sat up. She reached for Regina's hand, but the latter stood up and walked over to the window, looking out at the falling leaves. "Regina," Emma called out from her seat.
But the latter didn't budge.
Emma stood up walked over to Regina, hugging her lover from behind. "Regina," Emma repeated firmly. "Look at me."
Slowly, Regina turned around and looked up to Emma's warm eyes. "What," she muttered.
"We've been through so much. I love you no matter who you are and what you've done. When Henry finally remembers you, we'll tell him about us and will be one family. I don't love anyone else but you now. Isn't that what matters the most?"
"Yes, but—"
Emma covered Regina's lips with a finger. "No buts. Let's not keep rehashing old problems. We'll always be together, Regina. You won't get rid of me that easily"
Regina finally pulled Emma's hand away from her lips and closed her eyes, leaning towards the one woman she had never been able to resist.
Regina felt the heat from Emma's descending lips but Emma seemed to have other plans.
"The man who proposed to me and to whom I almost got engaged to…" Emma leaned her forehead against Regina's. "He…turned out to be one of those flying monkey monsters that has been plaguing Storybrooke. I was ashamed to admit it," Emma confessed.
Regina leaned back and opened her eyes, gaping at her. "You didn't even notice?"
Emma blushed further even as she pursed her lips. "He looked human almost the whole time we were together!"
Regina's lips were trembling with suppressed laughter. Emma looked pained with that admission, and she appreciated the honesty. Still, Regina couldn't help but tease her. "Oh god, you made out with a monkey," she said, trying to make light of the situation.
Emma blanched as she remembered that she did not only make out with a monkey. Regina felt Emma shuddering involuntarily.
"You only kissed the monkey, didn't you?"
"I…I…" This time, Emma couldn't answer and couldn't look Regina in the eye. "He wasn't in monkey form then!" she finally blurted out.
Regina burst out laughing, finally realizing that Emma's life without her hadn't been that rosy. Then she sobered up. "But I'm serious, you know. I'm trouble."
"Well, my life would be boring without trouble," Emma whispered. She closed the short distance between their lips, finally sharing their first kiss since they said goodbye a year ago.
I'm home, Regina thought as she lost herself in the kiss.