Takes place about a year after the season five finale. Assumes that all the lose ended story plots have been worked out.

I do not own Once Upon A Time.

"Can you explain to me again why we're sharing this tiny, uncomfortable, bed?" Regina grumbles when Emma once again elbows her in the ribs.

"Because while Ruby and Dorthy's house is nice and large, it's still not big enough to fit the dozen or so Storybrooke citizens who seem to follow along any time we go anywhere." Emma says as she shifts in the bed. She flips over so she can face the grumpy brunette and (hopefully) stop bumping into her.

"Our options were slim." Emma goes on to say. "Share a room with our teenage son. One or both of my parents, Granny, or your sister and her crying one year old."

Regina opens her mouth to retort that she truthfully had no problem sharing the bed with Emma it was the size and stiffness of the mattress that she objected to. But before she could speak Emma cuts her off holding up a hand that ends up inches from the other woman's face due to their close proximity.

"And I know we could have temporarily made the house or bed bigger Regina, but I'm sure you can understand why Dorthy is skeptical of people using magic in her home."

Regina simply glares at the hand in her face. Emma notices and almost rests her hand it on the other woman's cheek instead. She has the overwhelming urge to smooth out the frown lines on her flawless face but manages to stop herself and put a hand on Regina's arm instead.

Regina sighs in response but doesn't acknowledge the hand. She's afraid that if she does than Emma will remove it. "I'm not disputing that you were the best option available. We're...friends." Friends didn't seem to cover her feelings but that's what she was going with. "I just can't get comfortable, and I'm overly tired, and I am starting to wonder why I am even on this trip. Hook didn't have to go, why should I?"

"Hook is like banned from Oz or something." Emma says. When Regina raises an eyebrow at this Emma explains further. "Something about his pirate days, I didn't exactly ask for details" She says seeming over her supposed true-love's nonsense. "But you know why you had to come."

"Oh yes. I'm my sister's keeper." She drawls.

"Well when the wicked witch of the west has a mid-life crisis and decides that she needs to go to the land where she tortured everyone to like make amends, than yeah, she needs someone who could reign her in if she gets out of control."

"She is not having a mid-life crisis!" Regina whispers forcefully and looking offended. "She's not old enough for that!"

"Whoa that's what you took from what I just said? Plus it's not like I said you were having one, what do you care?"

"She's only three years older than me! And I'm not middle aged!"

"Technically you're over middle aged..." Emma mumbles incoherently.

"What was that?" Regina asks in a deadly tone.

"Did I ever tell you how pretty you are." Emma says with over enthusiasm.

Regina rolls her eyes but can't help but smile at Emma's attempt at distraction.

"Go to sleep." Regina responds and closes her eyes hoping that the blonde will follow by example.

She almost thinks it works too but a minute or two later she feels the bed shake with laughter and recognizable but quiet giggles.

Regina peaks and eye open. "What?"

"I just thought of something funny." Emma explains.

"Care to share?"

"Dorthy's magic slippers were Ruby Red. And they brought her home."

Regina fights the smile forming. If she didn't have so many years of practice masking her emotions it surely would have peaked out.

Emma could tell anyway and it warmed her heart to be able to make Regina smile.

"Go to sleep." Regina says again and closes her eyes once more.

Her eyes are closed for even less time this round. Her breath catches and her eyes pop open only moments after they had closed.

Emma had slid her hand from Regina's arm to around her waist and wormed closer so that their two bodies were flush.

"What are you doing?" Regina asks to distract herself from the feeling of Emma's body pressed against hers.

"You're warm." Emma explains. "And I know you're uncomfortable so you can lay your head on my arm if you'd like."

Not one to miss an opportunity Regina does just that. She thinks she may be too distracted by Emma's proximity to sleep tonight but she's honestly willing to forgo it. Plus, this position is comfortable enough to lull her to sleep anyway.

Her breathing becomes deeper, and she is almost asleep when Emma interrupts again.

"This is really nice."

The words themselves were enough to catch Regina's attention but it was the tone of voice that really woke her up. Emma sounded almost scared of her admission.

Truthfully Emma became overly emotional in the last few minutes while thinking about how nice this moment was. She was so utterly content and never wanted that feeling to go away. But what did that mean for her life? She had a fiance and a life outside of this perfect bubble.

Regina could feel the other woman becoming overwhelmed even if she didn't exactly know why. She rubbed a hand (which had at some point landed on Emma's shoulder) up and down to soothe the distressed woman.

"It is." Regina finally agrees. Because it really did feel...right.

Emma began to relax under the touch.

"What does it mean that I would rather cuddle with you than my own fiance?"

And that was a question Regina had no answer to.

Well that's not exactly true. She had an answer. What she hoped was truth too. She just didn't have an answer she could voice to Emma at this time.

So instead of voicing any thoughts, she squeezed Emma tighter to herself. She wanted to convey the message that whatever Emma's conclusion was, she would be there for her.

She tried to fall asleep again. And this time it should have been easy since Emma seemed to have finally be finished with speaking for the night.

And yet, it wasn't easy.

She laid awake trying not to put too much weight on Emma's midnight confession. It was simply ramblings in the night, was it not?

But as much as she tried she couldn't stop the seed from being planted in her heart.

Mary Margaret may think differently but Regina couldn't help but feel that Emma had just given her the worst thing she could have:

Hope