Title: A Confession
Pairing: Swanqueen
Rating: T
Summary: Regina and Emma are forced apart once Emma's feelings are discovered, but they are allowed a few moments of privacy, and one of them lets a secret slip.
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, or anything on OUAT.
If it wasn't for the bottle of wine Regina had consumed, she may have been shivering to fight off the cold as she stood with her hands resting against the railing of town halls second floor balcony. Her left fingers gently tapped against her right knuckles in a steady rhythm as her mind got the best of her. Henry had insisted that they all be present for his birthday - a ball in honor of his first birthday as a royal.
Everyone seemed to be enjoying him or herself; however, Regina had spent most of the night alone. It wasn't easy, not that anyone bothered to ask how she felt. Half of the town had turned up, and only a handful of people had even spoken to the former queen.
She hadn't expected much of the townspeople, but she had high hopes that as it was a family gathering, Emma would be able to stay close and make her feel more comfortable; she hadn't been further from the truth. Snow had made certain that each time their eyes had caught each other's, there was some reason to pull Emma away. It wasn't much, but a few glances were all it took for Regina to turn to putty in the savior's hands.
There was no way Regina would admit aloud that she was madly in love with Emma. She could deduce it to the desire to have a family for Henry, and really great sex. In her head however, she knew the truth. It was so much more than that, and in the few months that they had spent sneaking around, Regina found that she did truly love Emma. It was only once snow had realized the situation, and forced Emma to choose had Regina felt that Emma clearly didn't feel the same way.
The silence was shattered as soft heels began clicking their way out to the balcony. Emma had been forced to wear a dress, but she had refused to wear a ball gown. Her floor length silk dress was a nice shade of crème that complimented her pale complexion, the straps were thin, and her back was fully exposed. She looked perfect, and the dress hugged her in all of the right places. Her hair was left down in flowing waves that covered her shoulders. Regina had only seen Emma dressed up one other time - their first real date.
Her hands came to rest beside Regina's as her body mimicked the older woman's position. Smooth fingers deftly slid over their partners, before gently squeezing.
"You know you don't have to hide out." Emma spoke lowly to Regina, her head angled to look at the brunette's face.
"I'm not hiding. I just needed some air."
Regina responded without a single glance at Emma.
"You could at least look at me, you know?" Emma tried not to show how hurtful Regina's tone, and actions were to her.
"Well, I wouldn't want your mother to come out here and scold me for looking at you, dear. Heaven forbid I even glance your way these days." Her eyes stayed trained on nothing in particular - everything except for Emma.
"That's not fair. I came out here to see you. Please," she grabbed Regina's chin before turning the older woman's head, forcing eye contact, "I just need five minutes of how it used to be. I miss you, Regina."
"You chose this, Emma, not me." Regina finally let her eyes drift across Emma's face, and rested when they were reflected in blue eyes. Her tone was cold, and accusatory.
Emma scoffed before pulling her hands away and turning to leave. She barely made it a step before Regina reached out to grab her hand, "Please... I'm sorry."
Emma turned and quickly took a step to stand in front of Regina. A soft hand cupped Regina's cheek as her left fell to the black fabric of Regina's dress. Their position was intimate - too intimate for a public setting. The couple paid no mind to their fellow company; too caught up in the emotion of the moment.
"It's difficult to look at you, and hide how I feel. There's no way that your mother wouldn't notice that I look at you with all the passion in the world."
Without hesitation, Emma closed the distance between them, and their lips gently melted together. It only took a few seconds for reality to set in, and the two separated from the embrace and stood a safe distance apart. The two women turned again to face the open balcony overlooking the town.
"You know, Henry asked me why we aren't friends anymore. He said that he liked having us all together," Emma gently wrung her hands together as she spoke, "he said he liked our family."
The tears were barely held at bay as Regina took in the blonde's words. How could she pretend that she didn't feel the same way? How could she not be angry with Emma for making a choice that had torn that to shreds. As Regina's silence extended, Emma spoke again.
"I miss it, too, you know? Even if we only had a few early mornings together, waking up next to you was one of the most amazing experiences of my life," she smiled fondly at the memory of Regina's relaxed face against her chest, and the adventurous morning activities that had taken place before breakfast.
"I know that you may not believe me, but I miss you every single day." Emma finished her statement and cleared her throat to fight back the emotion threatening to spill out.
Regina took in every word before careful choosing her words, "I know, that when it comes down to it, they are your family and I am just some woman who raised your kid; that's why you chose them over me -"
Her words were cut short as Emma turned to face her, "Don't you dare stand here and try to deny that I miss you, and that I care about you."
Regina began to speak, but Emma took a step too close, and Regina lost her thoughts; she could smell her, almost taste her.
"You mean more to me than even I can understand. Everyone tells me you're evil, and all I can see is the way you laugh when Henry tells a joke. Everyone says I shouldn't trust you because of everything you've done, and suddenly I'm clouded with images of the way you look when you trust me completely, the way you look when I'm making love to you."
Slowly, Emma pulled their bodies flush together, and threaded her right hand through the hair at the nape of Regina's neck, her left reaching around a slender waist.
"Everyone tells me I should hate you, and I want to fight everyday to prove to you, and everyone else, that I love you."
The words fell carelessly from Emma's lips, and soon tears rolled down pale cheeks as Regina's emotions refused to be reined in. The hand holding them close softly slid up to cup Regina's right cheek, and cleared away a few tears.
"Please, don't cry," Emma cooed, "I've been waiting for the perfect moment to tell you, but I got tired of waiting."
Regina chuckled as she lifted her hands to golden locks and drew Emma in closer, "Your mother has been watching us for the past few minutes. I want to kiss you, but I don't want to ruin Henry's ball."
Emma gently cleared Regina's face of tears, "Then I guess I'll just have to sneak out, and get that kiss later tonight." Emma's eyebrows waggled and Regina laughed again.
"This is torture," Regina huffed out in a short breath, "I want to kiss you right now."
Emma caught the brunette's eyes, and threw caution to the wind. Her eyes slammed shut as she pressed her lips against their plump counterparts. The pressure alone was enough to make their heads spin, but soon their lips opened and wet tongues began swirling together in a mix of lust and love. Fingers tightened around long blonde hair before Regina gently pulled Emma from her mouth, letting her tongue tease the blonde's lips before ending the connection.
"Your mother is on her way over here, you had better get going. I'll see you tonight?" Emma reluctantly shuffled back a few steps and caught sight of the fuming white Queen.
"I'll be there," Emma winked as she turned to leave the balcony, only to be called back for a second.
"Oh! Emma?" Regina called out to her retreating lover.
A simple lift of the eyebrows was given, and acknowledged.
"You look absolutely beautiful tonight." Regina gave a small smile at the blush that crossed Emma's cheeks and chest. Emma quickly disappeared behind the curtains to intercept Snow before she could reach the balcony.
That was when it dawned on Emma - Regina hadn't returned her confession of love.