Heres a wee bit of Emma appreciation, since i think recently the character and Jmo have been getting bashed.
Characters not mine.
The rich summer sun diffused through the closed curtains, painting the room with a soft light. Regina allowed herself the luxury of just... being. Relaxing. Not having to get up.
Warmth. Something Regina thought she would never feel again inside. In her soul. It scaled the walls she had spent years building, spilling forth over the top with no concern for the innate fear of inevitable betrayal, the inevitable heartbreak. She relished the feeling of contentment that spread throughout every nerve, every cell, every shadowed corner of her dark, oft battered heart. Her eyes stayed gently shut, soaking in the sense of absolute peace that permeated every sense, every limb, every breath drawn into her lungs.
She had spent years sneering at the sun, the light it provided, preferring the privacy of the darkness, the elegance and chill of the night – she wasn't scared of the shadows and the monsters, she had been those things.
Then the most radiant sunbeam had walked into her life, all confident swagger and infuriating righteousness.
Emma.
Regina almost rolled her eyes at the almost giddy feeling that bubbled up within her when Emma was the subject of her thoughts. As usual. To be true, Emma had breathed light, colour, passion... everything that constituted life back into her existence.
Like a moth to a flame.
They had fought, oh how they had fought. Regina had gone full on possessive 'mama bear' as the blonde was fond of calling it over Henry. Squabbles, petty fights, schemes, Regina had done everything she could think of to run the other woman out of town. It was one of the few things in life she had failed at.
Not that she regretted it much now.
Over time, they had formed an alliance of sorts. Beginning with the ill-fated apple turnover and Henry. They had forged an alliance, based on the mutual love they shared for their son, they had worked together for the better.
Her heart swelled to think of the blonde coming to her aid time and time again during those events.
Her saviour.
Flying through the crowd to stop Whale from doing his worst, helping her up from the floor in the cell, her utter conviction upon uttering those words, "She's not dying."
Igniting her magic.
Pushing her out of harms way.
Believing in her.
Regina sighed, trying to stop her mind from whirling. The whole thing was almost unbelievable to her.
But they were one heck of a team. Combining their magic to stop the 'unstoppable' trigger. Regina thought of Neverland and everything that had transpired on the dark island. Trying to teach Emma how to harness magic, she smirked thinking of the sniping that had gone on between the two women. They had fallen back into old habits of insults and snark, however there had still been that underlying current of care suffusing their every interaction.
Regina would always take the dark road, perform the more unsavoury tasks to stop Emma from having to sully herself, to stop her from darkening her own heart. She was happy with those roles.
She didn't know where or when she had fallen in love with the saviour, it seemed to have snuck up on her whilst she was unaware. All she knew was that the lightness inside that she thought she would never feel again was a constant nowadays, with this woman in her life.
This woman who had brought her back to life, saved her on more than one occasion, shown her compassion and care when a multitude of others would throw her to the wolves or would wield the executioners axe. The woman who had challenged her on every level, and defied all expectation that Regina placed on her shoulders.
Regina looked down at the blonde curls spilling across her chest, Emma's breath tickling her skin in small puffs.
Emma was her sun, her true north.
This incredible enigmatic, courageous, beautiful, chivalrous, honourable woman was hers.