Hey! This is my first fanfic ever, i really hope you like it. I've just transfered it from AO3 (same username). Tell me what you thought of it! Reviews are always aprecciated.
"So… I've been thinking" Emma started to say sitting in the chair opposite to Regina, her boss. She had been delaying this conversation for a while, not knowing how she would take it. Not that Regina was a bad boss, demanding yes, but not bad. She had been the first person to want to hire her as a photographer professionally, she was thankful for the job, even if it wasn't her dream job, it gave her money and took her closer to her goals of becoming a known photographer and doing several expositions all around the world and working with different people.
Regina looked up at her without raising her head from the paperwork on her desk, making her know that she had a part of her attention. "Do you do that often?" Regina teased her with a blank face. Emma smiled nervously as she twisted her hands in her lap looking for the right words.
"I've been thinking about… taking a vacation…for a month…" She said slowly and never taking her eyes off her boss. Regina now stopped paying attention at the papers on her desk and looked at Emma, clasping her hands together; she said nothing for a couple of seconds.
"Is that so?" Regina said and smiled a little at Emma. She was screwed, she really was. She should have told her more… smoothly, damn her anxiety. Emma sighed and started to explain. "Yes, you know I have a big exposition, my biggest one yet, coming in like three months and I wanted to travel to get inspired and take photos. It's the biggest opportunity I have to collect good material, if I don't all my hard work will have been for nothing." God, she was ranting. Shut up, Emma, shut up. Of course, she didn't. "You know how much this means for me, Regina, I really appreciate everything you've done for me and my career, but I want to make a good job with this exposition. I need to make a good job, and excellent job even, and I-"
"Okay" Regina said and started working again on her papers, not even glancing at her again. Emma sat there frozen in place, trying to process this information.
"Okay? Okay what?" Emma asked, confused. Regina looked up with a hint of amusement on her face, "Emma, you've been working really hard this past 6 years, in fact, I don't remember you taking vacations longer than a week ever since I've hired you. Besides you know how quiet this time of the month is for the magazine, you've already taken all the photos I needed for this month's issue." she said looking intently at her. "I think it's healthy for you, you know, go out there, maybe have a social life". Emma looked down a little embarrassed, she didn't have many friends, that was true, the only people in her life were Mary Margaret, David and Ruby… and she didn't even go out with them that much, she liked being alone in her house, watching movies with Henry, her cat, but she didn't think Regina would notice her lack of social –and romantic– life.
"Where are you going?" Regina asked.
"I've been thinking about going on a little tour maybe, but mainly I wanted to visit Ireland." Emma had been planning this trip since she had been offered the place in the exposition, which had been about 5 months ago, she had money saved –you know, the lack of a social life sure was good to your economy–, she had grabbed a world globe she had in her shelf and started rotating it quickly, closed her eyes and stopped it with one finger, letting randomness chose her destination. When she opened her eyes her finger had been right in the name Ireland, she had always wanted to go, so she was happy with the result.
"Oh, yes, lovely country. Well, I have work to do, so… see you in a month." Regina started working again, as Emma rises from her chair, thankful again for the not long goodbye, she hated goodbyes. "Thanks Regina, if you need anything call me, you know my-"
"Oh, Christ, go away please, I won't die without you here, Emma. Go have a nice vacation and maybe meet a Irish man." Emma snorted at this, yeah, sure, because she was looking for a relationship. She didn't need a man in her life; relationships were complicated, included pain and were useless. No, thank you.
Emma went to her little office to grab her things. Well, that had been easy, she sighed relaxed now that she had a month free. A month, she had never done this; she had always been hardworking and never took more than a few days in any of her jobs. She felt… nervous and happy.
"So, what did the Queen said?" She heard Ruby said at her back from the door of her office. Ruby, Regina's assistant, had been the first person in the building to be nice to Emma, and the sassiness and good humour she always had felt refreshing to Emma, who was often accused of brooding by the girl with the wolfish smile.
Emma turned around to smile at her, "She said yes! I'm going on vacation" she said and did a little dance that involved moving her hands ridiculously whilst moving her hips from side to side, Ruby joined her dancing moves smoothly and they ended up laughing.
"Okay, I have to go, little wolf. I have a plane ticket to buy and a suitcase to pack. I might as well leave as soon as I can."
"Take me!" Ruby said as she faked a sob and clinged to Emma's waist, which was weird because of the height difference she had with those high heels she always used, Emma usually asked herself if Ruby slept with heels on. She patted the girl's back as if to reassure her.
"Sure, think you can fit in my suitcase?" Ruby snorted and was about to say something to her but was interrupted by the sound of Regina's voice calling her from her office.
Ruby made a face, "Duty calls, but Emma…" Ruby's expression softened and she smiled warmly at her. "Have fun, okay? Don't just work and take pictures, make sure to relax too. Have a good trip, I expect daily updates, you little skank" She winked at Emma as she laughed and left the office to attend Regina.
Emma left the building with a smile on her face and took a cab. When she arrived to her apartment she was received by Henry, who started meowing as soon as he saw her.
"Hello there, big boy. Did you miss me? I know I missed you." She picked him up and started rubbing his back as he started purring and licked her hand. She was certain that if soulmates existed… this cat was hers. She had had him for 4 years now and they were inseparable.
She had found him in her doorstep one rainy day, he was just a kitty and as soon as she saw him with his dark hair and those big eyes she knew she had to keep him, so she patiently lured him into the home, he was scared but soon he was rubbing himself against Emma's legs.
She settled in front of her computer as she petted Henry in her lap and started looking for a flight to book. After a little research she found a flight that leaves tomorrow morning, at 5am. She booked it and was printing the ticket info when her phone ringed.
"Emma! Ruby told me you got you vacations" Mary Margaret said as soon as Emma picked up the phone.
"Oh, yeah, I have just booked a flight, I was going to call you." She said.
"I'm so happy for you; you really deserve it, Emms. Do you need me to take care of Henry?" Mary Margaret asked and Emma smiled because somehow this short-haired fairy godmother always knew what Emma need, even if she herself didn't at the time.
"Mary Margaret, that would be so kind of you, I wanted to ask you that. Sorry for the short notice, tho. I just feel the need to go away for a while, you know?" Emma explained. She really needed that, she had this weird feeling that Ireland was holding some great things.
"I know, Emma. Remember I've been pushing you to take some vacations for about 3 years. The only holidays you took were about for a week and it was mostly because you were sick. I'm really glad you're doing this, you need it. Plus, you know how much David and I love Henry, if you don't take care we even might keep him" Mary Margaret laughed as Emma started threatening her that if she didn't gave Henry back she would have to stop baking David the cookies he liked and Mary Margaret would have to face a very angry David.
After hanging up with Mary Margaret and arranging for them to pick her up tomorrow –She said no at first, but her friend wouldn't have it any other way– Emma placed the suitcase in her bed and started packing her clothes, suddenly Henry climbed and packed himself in the backpack, she laughed and put him in the floor again.
"Sorry pal, you can't come with me this time. Mamma needs solo time" she petted his head and kept packing her clothes. After packing her clothes she began packing her cameras in her special bag, she took her Canon with her 18-200mm and 18mm lens, besides that, she packed her old but favourite Pentax analogic camera.
Having packed all she needed, she felt a rush of anxiety and adrenaline about this trip. She really hoped she would capture good material for her exposition, she had to.
The clock showed it was almost midnight so she finished accommodating everything and went to bed, snuggled next to Henry, like every night.
She fell asleep slowly into nothingness.
When they arrived at the airport Emma was nervous, she wasn't exactly a fan of flying.
"Are you ready to do this?" David asked her as he wrapped an arm on her shoulders.
"Hell yes, I'm not going to see your annoying face for like a month, I want to escape now." She mocked him, which won her a hair ruffle. "You won't be able to escape me for long enough, kiddo." He said and smiled at her. "Okay, now go, be free, fly little bird, spread your wings." He spreaded his arms and she started laughing.
"Oh God, David." Mary Margaret said but she was laughing too.
"Okay, birdies, it's my time to flee. You know I hate goodbyes so, Mary Margaret no tears."
Mary Margaret looked at her, smiled and nodded even thought her eyes were starting to get shiny, she was very sensitive when she wanted to.
Emma hugged quickly both of them and thanked the couple for taking care of Henry, who had ignored her as she left the apartment, apparently hurt because she wasn't taking him with her.
She sighted as she went through security, a few unwanted memories coming alive, which she soon buried deep within her. You don't need this, focus. She thought to herself.
Soon she was boarding the plane to Ireland, hugging her camera bag to her chest as the plane started to fly, her least favourite moment of the process.
When she arrived to Dublin she felt a little lost and anxious, but she found a cab and gave him the directions to the hotel she was staying in. Emma controlled her uneven breathing as she looked out the window; already a small smile forming in her lips, she had made it.
After registering in her hotel, she left her things in her room and decided to take a walk around to find a place to eat. She got directions from the receptionist and started walking with one hand on the strap of her camera bag, having decided at the last minute to take her canon with her, just in case.
She begin walking through a park nearby, kinda following the direction she had been given, kinda getting lost in the oh-so-green trees of this beautiful place. She took her Canon out –thank God she had grabbed it– and started taking a few pictures, measuring the light and changing the settings of her camera to adjust.
She kept walking stopping a few times to take pictures, there was a little bridge in the park that she decided would be a perfect place for a photoshoot.
Her stomach was making some noises so she started walking towards the restaurant she had been recommended, a little further in front of her there was a little group of people standing and watching something, as she got closer, she heard music, a simple melody but the voice of the singer captured her and she didn't even notice as she walked closer and closer to the source of the sound.
When she reached the circle of people, she froze in place, in front of her was a dark haired man strumming his guitar passionately and singing a song she didn't know. She stood there, not moving an inch as she listened the man sing, there was something so soothing in his voice.
Without noticing she had raised her camera, wishing she could capture in a photo the cadence of his voice and the calmness it made her feel, when she was about to take the photo, he looked at her and smiled a little at the camera, she took two more photos of him when he closed his eyes, getting lost in the music he was playing.
When he ended the song, the few people that were there started clapping, including herself.
That's when he looked at her, and she realised he was the owner of the bluest eyes she had ever seen, those eyes that were now piercing her. He smirked at her, a smirk that made her alarms beep furiously screaming "Dangerously sexy person ahead, do not approach', he winked in her direction and unable to help herself small smile grew on her face, her heartbeat stupidly rising. She had to get out of there. Now.
She began walking to the restaurant, which she found without problems. She ate and soon forgot about the man in the park, or so she thought as she hummed absent-mindedly the song she heard him sing.
That night she dreamt of Henry, that now had a bright pair of sky blue eyes.