Just a one-shot I needed to get out of my head.
Typical Disclaimer of not owning anything applies
Regina lets out a heavy sigh as she walks through the door. It had been a long drive from DC to Boston and she was relieved to finally be home.
"Emma?" She calls out.
She is curious as to why the apartment is so quiet. She had honestly been expecting to be bombarded by the blonde the moment she walked through the door. Especially after the text she had received earlier.
When she had informed the blonde last night as to what time she was expected home today her message back made Regina's heart ache.
Good. I need you home
A seemingly simple statement. (Which honestly worries Regina even more considering Emma usually adds ten emojis and a hundred exclamation points to every text.) The two hadn't spoken since then so it has given the brunette plenty of time to worry. She rushed back as quickly as possible.
The apartment isn't very big so when Regina quickly finds her in the bedroom.
She almost misses her at first. She is curled up as small as possible under the bedding.
"Darling?" Regina asks as she sits on the edge of the bed and lays a hand on the other's form. Only when she does can she notice the shaking of silent crying.
"What's wrong?!" Regina's beginning to become very concerned now.
Emma finally looks up at her with bleary eyes. Regina brushes the stray hairs from her face gently.
"Mary Margaret came to visit." Emma finally responds.
Regina's jaw immediately tightens at the name. She finds Emma's birth mother barely tolerable in the best situations and this is clearly not one of them.
"What did she do?" Regina demands to know what caused this bout of crying.
"She surprised me and just showed up here." Emma says ignoring the fire in the brunette's eyes.
Regina's face displays her momentary shock. "How presumptuous of her." She snarks. "Do you want to tell me what happened?"
Everybody in the club getting' tipsy,
Oh fuck that, just whine like a gypsy,
Can't see straight, like I got one eye (pop),
Your bottle opener or mine,
Let's... get started...
Emma danced around her small kitchen in her pajamas while waiting for her coffee to brew.
Everybody get random
All gyal them, all man them
Everybody get random
Jus' do something random
She disliked when Regina had to go out of town for conferences. The apartment felt so lonely without her. Truly, the only benefit of the brunette being away was that Emma could blast any music she wanted and dance around. Not that Regina wouldn't dance with her...because she totally has. But she would tease Emma relentlessly about her choices of music. In fact, she refuses to listen to anything on what she refers to as Emma's "so obviously gay" playlist. So Emma uses this opportunity to blasts all her guilty pleasures. Hence the Lady Sovereign.
The music is loud enough where she almost misses the sound of the knocking. She lowers the stereo in the assumption that it's just a neighbor unhappily reminding her that other people can hear her. However the sound of another knock a minute later tells her that someone is actually at the door.
Curiously, she goes to answer it.
"Mary Margaret?!" She asks startled to see the older woman.
Her birth-mother is standing in the hallway with a duffel bag and a big grin on her face.
"How about you hug you're mother-who drove all this way to see you-hello?"
"Sorry." Emma mumbles; internally cringing at the "mother" title. After all, she had only met the other woman when she turned 19. She gives her a quick hug though.
"What are you doing here?"
"You told me that your roommate would be away this weekend and since you're father and brother are going on a camping trip I thought it would be a perfect time to come and visit you."
Emma supposes this is a nice thing, and perhaps she would have been excited for M.M to visit if she had had advanced notice but right now she is too shocked and panicked to be happy.
"Are you going to invite me in or are you just going to stand there?" M.M jokes "I promise I won't yell at you if the apartment is messy. You weren't expecting me. Although I can't imagine Regina would let the common area be anything but perfect."
She's joking but this is an accurate statement.
Emma mindlessly opens the door and steps aside. Really, she has no other choice. She can't very well refuse to let her in.
Although only after M.M is through the doorway does she remember that her birth-mother has never actually been to her apartment before. Sure, she's come to visit Boston, but not often and never on her own. Her and David always stay in a hotel near by.
There is good reason Emma has never invited her around too.
"This place is very nice." Her mother states while looking around the small kitchen that opens into the living area. "Small though, no?"
"We don't need much space." Emma says defensively and pours them both coffee.
"No, but wouldn't you like to spread out more. I'd imagine you two are practically on top of each other here? No privacy if you have company over..." She says this like she's implying which type of company Emma would be having over.
"It's pretty comfortable." She says and hands her the cup.
She really doesn't want to get into that type of conversation with M.M. It will only lead to more questions that Emma very much does not want to answer.
Because even after nine years of knowing each other...Mary Margaret doesn't know she's gay.
When Mary Margaret and David first contacted her she considered not meeting them. To say she was bitter about being given up for adoption would be an understatement but somehow she still couldn't get the idea out of her head. She really didn't think that initial meeting would go well though. She knew how closed off she would be and was afraid of lashing out at them. To her surprise she did something much more surprising but equally embarrassing...she cried. When she first saw how young and practically perfect the couple was she immediately turned into a fan girl or something. She suddenly wanted these people to like her...love her...more desperately than she's ever wanted that before from anyone else. So naturally, at that first meeting when Mary Margaret started to talking about boyfriends she found herself well...lying. Agreeing to things, and not even realizing it until after. She didn't mean keep her sexuality from them originally but over the years it just got harder and harder to bring it up. And it's not like she sees them more than a few times a year anyway. It's never really conflicted with her life.
Until today.
Her apartment is her sanctuary. There is no way if M.M stays here she will not imminently realize something is a miss.
Emma contemplates ways she could convince her to stay in a hotel while the other woman prattles on about her drive.
Maybe if she suggested they both go away for the weekend it wont seem so suspicious? Either way, she needs to get them out of the apartment as soon as possible. She'll have more time to think.
"Let's go out for lunch." Emma suggests suddenly and ends up interrupting the other woman mid-sentence. She hasn't even had breakfast yet since she got up late but it's the first idea that popped into her head and she isn't going to nitpick at this desperate time.
"That sounds lovely." Not seeming fazed by the abruptness of the statement.
"Let me put real pants on and I'll be right out." Emma says and speeds to her room to get changed as quickly as possible.
"Let me just pack my bag and we can head out!" Emma says enthusiastically when they walk back through the door that afternoon.
While at lunch Emma had easily been able to convince Mary Margaret that they should have a girls weekend in Atlantic City. She thought it was the perfect way to get them distance from her life here in Manhattan. Because she decided it wasn't just her apartment, no where was safe. Even while out to eat she managed to run into people she knew who naturally asked about Regina. The comment was nothing too suspicious but it was enough to make Emma want to leave the area all together.
To be honest, she was a little excited about getting away with the other woman anyway. They had never done something like that before.
"Take you're time Emma." Her mother calls after her. "I'm going to use the bathroom before we leave."
There were two doors next to each other on the wall in the living room. The only two doors (besides the front door) in the small apartment.
"Door on the right." Emma says while making her way to the left one. Their bedroom.
Emma became so focused on the task of shoving clothes and necessities into a backpack that she failed to notice that the bedroom door was left wide open...or that her mother was watching her through the doorway.
"This is your room?"
Emma practically jumps at the sound of the other woman's voice. She looks up to see M.M scanning the room with a small frown.
"Yes?" It comes out sounding more like a question. The truth is that Emma may sleep in here but this room screams Regina. From the black and white color scheme to the throw pillows on the bed. (Because seriously throw pillows are soooooo unnecessary in Emma's opinion.) Yet, even though it's not her style, Emma feels absolutely comfortable in the space.
M.M leaves and room, opens the bathroom door, and looks around. Then walks back into the bedroom.
Emma nervously follows her with her eyes. She doesn't know what's going on in her birth-mother's head but she knows it's not good.
"Mary Margaret-"
"There's only one bed." The older woman finally says and begins pacing the floor.
"Oh." Emma sees the connection but doesn't know how to handle the situation.
"You've lived here for two years..." Mary Margaret trails off in thought. It sounds like an accusation as much as a statement.
Emma doesn't respond. By this point she is feeling distinctly awkward and ashamed. She feels trapped in this conversation. Mary Margaret may be naive but she's not an idiot. Emma knows the older woman must have figured out that her and Regina are more than just roommates.
"How long..." Mary Margaret goes on to say once she's moved out of the bedroom and into the communal area.
Emma isn't sure exactly what she's asking.
"With Regina?" Emma clarifies. "Four years." She answers while looking down at her shoes.
"FOUR FUCKING YEARS!"
Emma lifts her head in shock. She had never heard her mother curse so foully before. Or yelled when it was directed at her for that matter.
But right now M.M looks livid and if Emma is not mistaken...disappointed.
"So can I assume that you've been lying to me the entire time I've known you?!"
Emma gives a slight nod of her head.
She feels like crying already. She's never really had to deal with disappointing a parent before. At least not her actual parents and not about anything more than not being able to visit for a holiday.
"WHY?" M.M finally stops pacing and faces her daughter with her hands on her hips. "Do I really seem that bigoted to you? I know I don't have any gay friends or anything but does that automatically make you assume that I think you should go to hell or something?"
"No! I didn't mean to lie."
"You didn't mean to?!" She asks incredulously. "How does something like that just accidentally happen?"
Emma can't look her mother in the eye anymore she is becoming increasingly more upset and she does not want to start crying.
"What else have you been lying about?" Her mother demands.
"Nothing!" Emma is quick to assure.
"Why should I believe that?"
"Because there would be no reason for me to hold anything back at this point!" Emma practically shouts but as tears leak out she calms herself down. "So you're saying you would have completely accepted me all these years?" Emma asks. She's a little afraid of the answer but that seems to be what her mother is alluding to and she needs to know for sure.
"Yes." M.M is quick to say. However even as the word leaves her mouth Emma can sense a BUT coming. "But I will have to get use to the idea. I wish you had just told us right from the start it would have been easier to wrap my head around. I could have guided you."
"Guided me how?" Emma asks skeptically, not really believing that M.M could have been any help in her relationships.
"I could have given you advice. I have been with your father since we were fourteen, you know. I could have encouraged you when to take chances or not. Guided you away from certain people."
Emma's head immediately snaps to attention. She doesn't like her mother's tone.
"Away from whom? Regina?!" Emma asks getting angry for the first time all conversation.
"Well you could see how I'd have concerns Emma. She's cynical,older than you, and works a lot. Do you even know what she's doing on these trips of hers. I'm not necessarily saying that-" She begins haughtily.
But Emma's heard enough.
"Stop!" She shouts. "You will not stand her in home and insult her. Especially when shes not here to defend herself! You've met her what? Three time? You don't know anything about her! She is an amazing partner and has been there for me more than anyone else ever has in my life! And I'm glad I never told you all these years if you were just going to be nosy and unsupportive!
"I can't believe you would-"
But Emma cuts her off again.
"I think you need to leave!"
Her mother huffs before grabbing her bags and slamming the door behind her.
After hearing the retelling (shortened because of her girlfriend's increased crying and unwillingness to admit all the bad things her mother said) Regina became incensed. She didn't care so much that Mary Margaret would speak poorly of her but she was livid that the older woman would upset Emma to this degree.
"I just don't want her to hate me now! You know? But I just...I can't with her right now. Especially if she says shit about you. I can't." Emma says winding down from her story.
"What a stupid bitch." Regina says through her teeth.
"Regina." Emma halfheartedly reprimands.
"No Emma. I'm sorry. You know I wouldn't normally say such bad things about her in front of you but honestly she's a moron who got pregnant at 15 and expects to have this like perfect mother-daughter relationship with the now grown child she gave up. If she not only doesn't forgive you but also doesn't apologize to you, she will live a bitter, miserable existence, which she deserves!"
"She's not going to apologize." Emma mumbles her disbelief.
Regina huffs in annoyance at what she's about to say.
"Of course she will Emma! Because as stupid as she is-and she really really is-she also loves you. Trust me, she'll go home and cry to David and they'll both bitch about me for a while. But eventually, probably very soon too, they'll both miss you terribly and end up groveling at our door step. And you have to promise me one thing when that happens."
"What?"
"You have to promise me you'll actually make them grovel...at least a little." She smirks.
Emma weakly chuckles.
"Deal."
After that they cuddle in silence for a while.
Eventually Emma feels okay enough to get up and Regina places her on the couch while she makes them lunch.
Regina brings the sandwich over to her love and sits down.
Emma looks at the sandwich and sees that the sesame seeds (which she hates) have been picked off the bun for her. She smiles at the gesture before looking adoringly at the brunette next to her.
"You know what one good thing about this is?" Emma asks.
"Mary Margaret's pain?" Regina playfully suggests.
Emma looks at her trying to seem not amused. But really, Regina can tell a smile is peaking out.
"Fine. What?" Regina asks with her own smile. One, only Emma seems to be able to get out of her.
"We can get married now."
"Yeah?" Regina asks hopefully.
"I know I was kind of the one dragging my feet about everything because I still felt the need to hide it but now that we are out to everyone...I can't think of a reason not to start a family with you."
"Is this you asking me to have your baby?" Regina smirks.
"Maybe." Emma says with her own smirk. "This has turned into more of an impromptu proposal of marriage. I should probably get to the jewelers before I get into all the stuff about loving you forever though right?"
"Probably." Regina looks at her lovingly.
"Okay then. Rain-check for a few days?" She asks with a wink.
"I think I can wait a few days. No more than a week though." Regina deadpans but her untameable smile is giving away her excitement.
"So bossy." Emma says before kissing her passionately.
"Get use to it."
"I will."