Disclaimer: I do not own ABC, OUAT, or the characters.
A/N: First SQ and first One Shot.
When The Lights Go Down - SQ
Emma sighed heavily as she paced back and forth in her new apartment. It had been two months since the adventure back in time with Hook to the Enchanted Forest. Since then, Captain Hook had become a pain in her ass and a constant thorn in her side. Sure, at the time, she may have thought they would've been something together. But after seeing Regina so hurt after Marian came back and Robin saw her, Emma knew she couldn't be with Hook. It killed Emma to see Regina like that; it hurt even more to know that she was the cause of it.
Since then, Emma had tried every little thing she could think of to try to win Regina over. She would send Regina flowers with an apologetic card. Once, she sent a teddy bear with a heart that said "sorry" on its tummy, along with a chocolate bar that Emma knew Regina was fond of. The last thing she did was show up at the Mayor's office and formally apologized to the woman. Oddly enough, inside of Regina sending Emma flying out of her office, she had left on her own accord and paid Emma no mind at all.
"This time," Emma thought aloud to herself, "It'll be different." She took in a deep breath as she stood in the doorway, contemplating on what to do. Emma knew that she had to do something. She hated going on like this, and from Henry had told her, Regina wasn't fairing much better. Emma gnawed down on her already short fingers and thought anxiously for a moment. Henry was staying the night at one of his friends' home this evening, which meant Regina was alone at home.
Emma looked at the clock and noted that it read 6:59 pm. Surely Regina was home, probably even about to have dinner. When Henry wasn't home, Emma knew that Regina had her dinner later than usual.
Mind made up, Emma threw her hair up in a tight ponytail and grabbed her tattered red, leather jacket then threw it on before grabbing her car keys and rushed outside. She had one last chance to fix this. And she intended on doing it right this time.
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Not too much later, Emma pulled to the side of the road outside of the Mayor's mansion and shut her car off. All her confidence she had earlier was now decipated, but she refused to turn back now. Emma took in a deep breath and stepped out of her yellow bug then silently shut the door. She wanted to be as discreet as possible, though she wasn't quite sure why; Regina would know she was here nonetheless.
Noting that the kitchen light was still on, Emma casually headed towards the front door and took in another breath in an attempt to calm her nerves. Emma lifted her hand and knocked three times on the wooden door. She bit down on her lip as she heard slow movement on the other side. Emma knew that Regina wasn't expecting anyone by the way she moved cautiously towards the door.
The door opened and Emma shyly smiled at the brunette, who merely scowled at her. "Hey Regina."
"Miss Swan, what on earth are you doing here? As you know, Henry isn't here." Regina stated matter-of-factly as she folded her arms across her chest.
Emma licked her suddenly dry lips and squared her shoulders as she tried to seem confident. "I am aware. I came to talk to you." Regina rolled her eyes and stepped back into her home, leaving the door open behind her. Emma assumed she was safe to enter, so she did and closed the door behind her.
"Now, why are we having this conversation yet again?" Regina asked as she made her way back into her kitchen. She really didn't want to talk to Emma, but she knew the blonde would not leave until they did. She stirred the pasta on the stove once more, determining that it had about five more minutes to cook until it was finished. She then stirred her homemade pasta sauce before turning back towards Emma.
Emma stood awkwardly in the kitchen, her hands deep in her blue jeans pockets. She shifted her weight to her left leg as she leaned against the wall. "Because we still have yet to actually talk about anything. The last time I tried to talk to you, you walked out on me."
"That would be because I was not feeling quite up to talking that day." Regina recalled as she turned her attention back to the sauce. She didn't want to leave it sit too long in fear of it sticking to the bottom of her pan.
Emma nodded her head though she knew Regina couldn't see her and stepped further into the kitchen. She walked towards the cabinets and opened the one with the plates inside. She pulled down two plates before opening another cabinet and grabbed two wine glasses. She carefully placed the two, stacked plates down on the table first and then set the glasses down. Regina didn't exactly invite her to have dinner with her, but she wasn't about to leave right now. Not when there seemed to be a chance the two could actually talk.
As Regina turned towards the table, she narrowed her eyes at Emma, who was setting the table and shook her head. Emma sure was adamant about having this conversation. Regina knew it was useless to try to get rid of the blonde now, so she just let it go. Regina stirred the pasta once more, determined it done and then mixed in the sauce. Once thoroughly mixed, she grabbed Emma's plate first and spooned some pasta onto her plate. She sat Emma's plate down on the table and then grabbed her own plate, spooning her desired amount of pasta.
Regina let out a content sigh as she sat at the table across from Emma, who had already gathered their forks and poured their wine. How Emma had figured out which wine was Regina's favorite, she'd never know. Regina let her eyes drift to Emma, who was eyeing her intently. Regina raised a brow at her in question. "What?"
Emma just shook her head before taking a bite of the pasta, a low moan escaping her lips from the delicious food.
Regina swallowed thickly and tried to concentrate on her own plate in front of her. Occasionally, she'd catch Emma sneaking glances at her, but she paid no mind to it. It did cross her mind, however, that this was the first meal they've had together in a while. And it wasn't awkward; in fact, it felt quite comfortable.
Minutes later, they both finished the meal and Emma surprised Regina by gathering up the dishes and placed them all in the sink. Regina stood from the table and quickly dished the remaining pasta in a bowl, then snapped a lid on it. Regina jumped slightly when lightning struck, a loud clap of thunder following it. She cursed silently. God knew she hated thunderstorms, and now, after not having a storm in several months, it had to storm. With Emma Swan in her presence. How lovely. Regina just hoped that Emma wouldn't pick up on just how nervous she was about the whole storm situation.
This time, Regina jumped halfway across the room when Emma lightly touched her arm. Regina clutched her chest as the blonde looked at her apologetically. "Do not do that! You scared me to death!"
Emma held up her hands defensively. "Sorry. I just wanted to ask if you wanted to continue our conversation in the living room?" Emma asked, clearly not noticing just how freaked out Regina was.
Regina swallowed thickly and then nodded her head before following Emma out into the living room. Another clash of thunder made Regina jump slightly and she was happy that Emma didn't notice it. Emma sat on one end of the couch and looked at the other end expectantly. Not one to disappoint, Regina sat at the other end and turned to face Emma. "So... What exactly are we supposed to be discussing Miss Swan?"
Emma rolled her eyes. "Okay, for one, the whole 'Miss Swan' thing. We've known each other for three years, Regina. Almost four. Don't you think that you can call me by my first name? It isn't that hard you know?"
This time it was Regina who rolled her eyes. "Seriously Miss Swan? This is what you wanted to discuss?"
"Well no, but I just don't think the formality is needed! We share a son, Regina. We've been through a lot together. You don't have to talk to me like I'm just a person who works for you." Emma declared.
Regina furrowed her brow. "You do work for me, dear. As sheriff."
Emma groaned. "I know that! But I'm more than that! I'm your..." She wanted to say friend, but Emma wasn't sure if they could even be classified as that anymore. Thunder rumbled again but this time, Emma didn't miss the way Regina's body tensed up at the sound. But instead of call her on it, Emma let it go.
"You're my what, Miss Swan? My son's other mother? The daughter of my arch nemesis?" Regina questioned, trying desperately to keep her voice calm. This storm seemed to be getting closer and it unnerved her to no end. But being who she was, she refused to seem weak. Especially in front of Emma Swan.
"I was going to say friend." Regina scoffed at that and it made Emma look at her. "Look, I know I messed up, Regina. I didn't mean to hurt you by bringing Marian back. I just wanted to save her, as I've told you before. But I would never intentionally hurt you. I need you to know that." Emma said sincerely.
What Emma didn't know is that Regina already knew that. She had long since forgiven the blonde. But the thing was, Regina wasn't sure if she could handle seeing Emma; be around her. She may have forgiven her, but it still hurt to be betrayed from someone who Regina had began to trust. Regina's eyes met Emma's green ones. "I do know that. It just takes time, Emma."
Emma nodded her head and was about to stand up when another clash of thunder sounded and caused Regina to scream out. Emma's eyes widened as she stared at Regina who had a hand clutched to her chest and her eyes tightly shut. Emma started to shift closer to Regina, but Regina quickly shook her head.
"I'm okay. I'm fine." Regina said, more to herself than to Emma. But she really didn't want Emma to come any closer to her.
Emma nodded her head in response though Regina couldn't see her and rested against the back of the couch. "Okay. I'm still here though, okay?"
Regina's eyes opened and she looked at Emma, who gave her a slight smile. Regina silently wondered why anyone would continue to stay by her side. But Emma had. Emma still did. Throughout everything, Emma was still here. And she was grateful for it.
Just as Regina was about to thank Emma for staying with her, lightning stuck and the power went out. Regina let out a light yelp and reached out for Emma's arm. "Emma?" She called out fearfully.
"I'm here." Emma responded, finding Regina's hand in the darkness. Due to the storm, it was darker than normal outside, and the only light coming from inside was from the clock on the wall, and the lighting from that was minimal. "Do you have any candles around anywhere?" Emma asked as she started to stand up from the couch, but Regina squeezed her hand.
"Why? Where are you going?" Regina asked. She hated sounding so small and weak, but she hated the dark almost as much, if not more, than she hated thunderstorms. It reminded her of dark times, and she just wanted to banish those memories for good.
Emma smiled at Regina through the darkness though she couldn't quite see her. "If I can find some candles and light them, it won't be so dark." Emma could barely make out Regina's head nod in the darkness as Regina's hand slipped from her own. She immediately missed the warmth, but she had to find some candles. Emma could sense Regina's distress from the darkness, and while she wondered why Regina was so freaked out by the whole thing, she didn't really want to question her too much.
Emma searched blindly around the kitchen until she found two small candles that sat atop the counter. She reached for the lighter in her pocket and lit both of the candles before taking them back out into the living room. Emma noticed Regina look up towards her and she gave the older woman a small smile. "Two's all I could find. I hope that's okay?" Regina nodded her head in response as Emma placed the two candles on the coffee table. "Better?" Emma asked as she sat back down on the couch and looked at Regina.
"Yes. Thank you." Regina said lowly. Unconsciously, she shifted closer to Emma as thunder rumbled again. She tried to ignore the flashbacks that were threatening to spill to the surface by squeezing her eyes shut.
"You okay?" Emma asked Regina as she patted the older womans shoulder. Receiving a slight nod from Regina, Emma nodded in response. "Not a big fan of storms, eh?"
Regina shook her head quickly before opening an eye to look at Emma. "Not quite. I haven't been for quite a while."
"Why not? If you don't mind asking." Emma tried, figuring that the only thing Regina would do is just not answer. She knew that Regina wouldn't throw her out in the storm; at least she hoped she wouldn't.
Regina shook her head and swallowed thickly. "It's a long story." Regina replied, dismissing the conversation.
Emma tried a different angle. "Well, when did you start to become scared of them?"
Regina took in a deep breath and reached across the couch to grab Emma's hand as lightning struck, followed by a loud clash of thunder that seemed to shake the mansion. Pushing down the lump in her throat, Regina finally answered. "I umm... It started when I was married to your... To the King." Regina refused to called King Leopold Emma's grandfather, even though he was. She couldn't believe that Emma could ever be related to such a man. She was too kind; too good. Regina quickly pushed the thoughts of her dead ex-husband away before the could consume her.
Emma looked Regina over and squeezed her hand reassuringly. She had quite a good idea about what made Regina so scared of storms, but she didn't want to speak about it. It would only cause Regina more hurt, and it would only make Emma pissed off at a man she didn't even know; that she didn't even want to know. So instead, Emma pulled Regina a little closer to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. She felt Regina tense up again as another clash of thunder rattled the windows. Regina rested her head against Emma's shoulder, and Emma was happy to feel her start to relax.
Hating the silence, Regina spoke up. "Thank you for staying here with me. I know I haven't been treating you the best lately and... It just means a lot that you stayed here."
Smiling, Emma pulled Regina a little closer to her. "I'll always be here. Even when you treat me like crap, which by the way, you had every right to be upset with me."
Regina let out a content sigh as she breathed in Emma's familiar scent. Even as the storm continued to rage outside, she could admit to herself that she never felt so at ease then in that moment. Emma took her to a place of serenity that she hadn't been to in a long time. She couldn't even remember quite feeling like this with Daniel. That thought alone shocked her. She was in love with Daniel; or so she had thought back then. But if she felt that way about Daniel, then what was this that she felt for Emma? She knew that the feelings she felt for the younger woman were stronger than what she felt for Daniel. Refusing to think too much about it tonight, Regina just closed her eyes and just listened to the beat of Emma's heart.
Within minutes, Regina was sound asleep. Emma smiled as she looked down at the sleeping brunette. She gently moved a strand of hair that fell in Regina's face and placed it behind her ear. Her face looked so peaceful and beautiful, illuminated by the soft candlelight. Emma could swear that she had never seen the woman look more beautiful than in that moment. She let out a content sigh as she ran her fingers through Regina's short hair. Emma couldn't even comprehend how she had fallen for Regina Mills so hard so fast. She could only hope that Regina would feel the same way about her. "One day." Emma murmured to herself as she too drifted off to sleep.
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A/N: Okay! So this was my first ever one shot & first ever (semi)SwanQueen fanfiction! I hope that you all liked it! =) I'm working on other SwanQueen fanfics right now, so if you like this, be on the lookout for it! Also, I'm writing a Rizzoli & Isles fan fiction, if you want to check that out. =) Thank you all for reading and I really hope you like it! Any and all mistakes are mine!