There was no reason for Emma to wear that shirt. This was a casual day in the park, after all, and everyone else was wearing tank tops or T-shirts.
But not Emma.
Emma was wearing a sleeveless shirt just sheer enough to continually catch the eye, but not see-through enough to be… inappropriate.
Regina didn't know why it bothered her, though. Why would she care what Emma wore at all-assuming she wasn't going around in a literal clown costume or naked, anyway.
She watched as Emma and Henry chased Pongo around the park, David occasionally joining while Snow and baby Neal sat on a picnic blanket, ignoring the chase around them to laugh at each other.
Regina rolled her eyes as yet another peal of laughter came from the mother and son duo, but she remembered Henry at that age. She had been his whole world; he had wanted nothing more than to look at her and laugh with her and the memory made her feel… tolerant of Snow and the baby's single-minded fascination.
That single-minded devotion had been something she'd needed at the time, but she wouldn't trade what she had now. Her biggest surprise since the curse broke hadn't been Snow's forgiveness; Snow White had always been ready to forgive her. No, Regina was most surprised that she not only tolerated sharing Henry's love but almost welcomed it.
She'd accepted it at first only because Henry needed her to. Henry thrived on the love he found with Emma, with Snow and David, with the rest of the people in this town-many of whom still hated her (with good reason, she reminded herself), but who somehow managed to love her son. But her finding a way to make room for others in Henry's life meant that he had more room to love her, too.
In the field, Emma made a flying leap for Pongo and missed, sprawling on the grass, breathless with laughter.
Irritation fizzed through Regina. She pressed her lips together and tried to look away, failing as Pongo came over and licked Emma's face. Emma put up her hands to fend off the dog and her shirt rode up a little, revealing a strip of pale skin.
Regina stood up. She had been at one of the tables close to the edge of the field, so she started down the path that led to the parking lot, not really thinking about where she was going, just knowing she needed to move.
She didn't make it very far.
"Regina!" Emma called. "Wait up!"
Reluctantly, Regina turned. Emma jogged up to her, pulling her hair out of her face as she came, tying it back into a messy ponytail. She was still breathing hard, still happy, even as she looked concerned.
"Are you doing okay?" Emma asked.
"Fine," Regina said, knowing her curt tone belied her words.
"Really?"
"No," Regina admitted. She didn't elaborate, not entirely sure why she felt off. "I guess I just didn't feel like company."
"Oh," Emma said. "Are you leaving, then?" She sounded disappointed, and Regina gave her a sidelong glance.
"I don't know." What was wrong with her today?
"How about a walk?" Emma suggested. "There's a trail up ahead that goes by the pond, and I think Pongo could use a break-Henry, too, probably."
That actually sounded nice, although two minutes ago Regina would have said she needed to be alone. "Fine," she said.
Emma grinned and bounced on her toes for a couple of steps. "It's beautiful today," she said as they took the left-hand fork in the trail just before they would have come to the parking lot. Regina expected this would be the start of a round of chatter, but Emma was quiet as they walked. After a minute or two, Regina relaxed, enjoying the warm day and the quiet sounds of the forest around them.
The path that went by the pond made a short loop, but without discussing it, they took another path that went deeper into the woods, away from the field.
Regina glanced toward Emma. In the trees, the sunlight was muted, but flashes of light still shone on Emma's hair and pink cheeks.
"You should wear sunscreen," Regina said.
Emma touched her cheek. "I did. I haven't yet found one strong enough to keep me from burning if I spend more than an hour outside." She rubbed her cheek again. "I wonder if there's a spell that might be more effective."
"There is a potion, but you need a lot of feverfew, and it smells terrible."
Emma laughed. "Sounds like a pain. Maybe I'll stick with Coppertone after all."
They came to a hill and began to work their way up the meandering switchbacks. Breathing hard with exertion, they climbed in silence. At the top, someone had set up a bench and Emma sat down. Regina opted to stand just to the side, stretching her legs and rolling her neck. In front of them, they could see the hill they'd just climbed, and a lot of trees.
"There isn't much a view," Emma said.
Regina squinted. "I think there's the lake just over there," she said, pointing. "Somewhere."
"I sit corrected."
Regina shook her head, stretched a final time, and sat down on the other side of the bench.
Emma turned toward her. "So did you figure out why you were bothered before?"
Regina considered the question and reached for an answer. "I guess I just didn't feel like I belonged."
It wasn't untrue, but it wasn't the whole truth, either. Emma seemed to accept it, turning to look at the non-existent view for a moment before saying, "I feel like that sometimes. Not today, but I'm not used to this-to having people around, having people who want to be around." She smiled and looked back at her. "You seem okay now."
Without thinking, Regina said, "I don't feel that way around you." She realized it was true only when Emma's eyes widened.
Regina looked away, wondering if she could add some sarcastic quip and turn it into a joke.
"I don't feel like that around you, either," Emma said quietly. "I think it's because I know you know what it's like to be alone, and not just for a few days or whatever-I spent so many years seeing other people have days like this, wondering what was wrong with me when it seemed so easy for them."
Regina couldn't help herself-she had to look at Emma, and her expression sent a chill down Regina's spine. Emma was so totally open, so trusting, and Regina did not deserve that trust. Despite that uncontestable fact, here Emma sat, handing her information that Regina knew made her feel vulnerable.
Emma moved closer to her on the bench. Regina stilled, her eyes searching Emma's.
Emma looked scared, but fierce, determined. She moved closer still, a distance of only inches between them now. Regina's heart pounded. She didn't, couldn't move, not away, and not toward Emma-but Emma came to her. Her thigh touched Regina's, and then Emma put her hand on Regina's knee.
Regina felt time slow to a crawl. She felt chilled and then as if she was on fire. She had the panicked thought that this came out of nowhere, and the thought that this had been coming for a long time.
All of that raced through her mind in the second it took for Emma to lean in and kiss her.
Regina couldn't have described the kiss in any meaningful way-she was lost in the shock that it was happening at all. She thought it was brief, but maybe that was only because she wanted more of it.
She opened her eyes, but Emma's eyes were still shut, so she brought a hand to Emma's face and leaned in, reciprocating in kind, as gentle as she could be.
"Regina," Emma breathed, still against her lips.
It broke her, the revelation in Emma's voice. She knew how little she deserved this, but she was selfish enough to take it. She kissed her again, drinking her in, her hand on Emma's neck to hold her close.
Finally she needed air. Reluctantly, she pulled back, not wanting reality to intrude, not wanting Emma to realize this was a mistake.
But when she opened her eyes, Emma was smiling wide, her cheeks flushed, her eyes dark.
"That-" Emma said, breaking off in a laugh. "I can't-" she laughed again before she pushed forward, kissing Regina, her tongue darting in to taste, her body pressing Regina against the back of the bench.
"Do you know," Emma said a minute or ten later, "you can't stop looking at me when I wear this shirt?"
Regina blinked at the shirt in question for a moment before her eyes snapped to Emma's. Emma looked very pleased with herself, and Regina's eyes narrowed. "Did you plan this?"
Emma grinned. "Of course not," she said. She got to her feet and held out a hand for Regina.
Regina sniffed but took it and let Emma pull her up.
"If I had planned it I would have waited until we had eaten dinner to ask you if you wanted to go on a walk," Emma said. "I'm starving."
Regina shook her head. "Honestly, I don't know what I see in you."
Emma squeezed Regina's hand and tugged her back toward the path. "We'll figure it out."