Disclaimer: Once Upon a Time and all its characters belong to ABC. I own none of this and I don't make any profits.
"Regina?" Emma tried to turn the doorknob, but as she expected, it was locked. "I know you're in there, I can see the lights on."
After hearing Emma's short speech, Regina leaned back against the door with a thump, knowing no one was there to hear it.
It hurt. It hurt that she thought she had found her happy ending and now it was taken away. It hurt that no one could help her with her heartbreak, because she didn't have any friends, not really, and the only person she had left was her thirteen-year-old son, whom she didn't want to see her vulnerable. It hurt because despite having come far, it never seemed to be good enough and she would be always seen as the person she used to be, the person she loathed. But most of all, it hurt because of Emma.
Emma knew about her past and had suffered the consequences, and despite that, the only time she had thought of her as evil was when she had accidentally poisoned their son. Emma believed her when Archie was thought dead, only doubting her when the evidence was too much, and then she believed her again when the curse brought everyone back because she just knew, without needing any proof that she hadn't done it. She had trusted Emma to keep her son, their son safe when she sent them to New York and she had trusted her with her memories and feelings, because even though they'd had a rough beginning, she too had just known that with Emma it would be the right choice.
That's why it hurt so much. Her heart felt like a mirror that had just shattered and each shard was fighting to get out of her chest, slicing everything in its path. Emma was supposed to be the person who understood her, the person who, as she had said herself, brought back the happy endings, and she wanted to scream at her why, why, why, had she reached into her chest and crushed her feelings to dust. She felt betrayed.
She got up decisively and held onto the doorknob waiting for her legs to stop wobbling and she composed herself. She clicked the lock open and let the crack just wide enough for her to check she was actually alone. As she stepped out she heard again that familiar scuff of leather boots reentering the Town Hall, but instead of retreating again to her office, she fastened her pace, only to end up colliding with a very determined Emma. She stumbled, but she held onto that awful leather jacket that Emma seemed to have worn since the first day they met.
"Regina," her voice betrayed her surprise, but seeing Regina refused to look her in the eye, she awkwardly held her close as well. "I had to come back and tell you… I don't know if I ruined your relationship with Robin, I probably have." Regina's fists clenched on her lapels and she felt her clavicle slightly moist. "But maybe there's still a chance he'll choose being with you over Marian. Anyway, that's not what I wanted to say." Regina's soft sob confirmed her suspicion that she was crying, so she changed her position, now shamelessly hugging her. "I wanted you to know that if that doesn't happen, that doesn't mean you can't be happy. You've proved destiny wrong by showing you're not a villain, you don't need fairy dust to tell you who is going to make you happy. You don't let anyone tell you what to do, why do you let some magic powder and a book do it instead? I want you to know, I need you to know that if you want to find your happy ending somewhere else, I'll be there, by your side, helping you find it. Not because I feel guilty or because I'm supposed to, but because I think you deserve it."
"Regina, you don't need magic to have True Love, True Love is magic. Don't limit yourself to believing you can only have that with one person. True Love is about finding a person you can't stop thinking about, no matter how hard you try; someone who doesn't fight for you, but teaches you how to fight and does it by your side; someone you could see yourself having a family with. Someone you trust."
Her hand had found the back of Regina's neck and was subconsciously holding her close, rubbing soothing circles and toying with her hair. Her eyes closed as she placed her chin on top of her head, waiting for the almost inaudible whimpers to subside. Emma wanted to do more to make Regina feel better, but she suppressed the urge to press her lips to her temple, knowing that it would be better to fix this with words—not to mention she'd probably get fireballed for trying that.
Her eyes fluttered open when she heard Regina mumble something in her shirt. "What?" She moved her head so her ear would be on level with Regina's lips and the tips of her hair tickled her nose. She could smell a hint of her perfume and found herself wanting to lose herself in the sensation.
"I did trust you," her voiced sounded probably as broken as she felt, and it felt like a stab to Emma's stomach. "And, you know?" her voice grew bitter. "You used to be those for me, but for some reason I just can't see myself marrying you with birds chirping all around and breaking curses with the power of our kiss."
"Then don't. Regina, look at me." She cupped her cheek with one hand and when she still didn't meet her eye she repeated the request. "Regina, please," she begged. "I just needed to let you know you deserve better." Defeated, she turned around to leave.
"Emma, wait," her hoarse voice barely a whisper, she pulled Emma back by her wrist and placed a salty kiss full of promise on her lips.
Thank you so much for reading! This was the first fic I've posted in ages and I would appreciate any comments/reviews you have (constructive criticism, too).