Note: So here's the whole "I don't own any of these characters" business. There is no Robin/Hook situation in this stories existence. It just isn't something I want to deal with. Also, as a heads up I don't know about continuing this but it came to mind and it's been edited via phone so I apologize ahead of time! Big hugs!
When you think back on your life, the memories that usually flood your thoughts are the happy ones. The times you cherish. The experiences that made you feel alive. The people who made you feel loved. But you see.. that's the thing about happiness. It's not always the same. There is not always a rhyme or reason to your smile every day. There is no secret combination to unlock. Happiness comes in all shapes and sizes, all types and forms. It surrounds all the senses. Happy memories arise from touching and tasting and smelling. But there's another thing about happiness that a lot of people don't consider. Not everyone experiences happiness enough to be able to recognize it when they have it. They can become so immune to happiness that it doesn't occur to them that they could ever be truly happy. When you live your life expecting to be let down, happiness can be hard to comprehend. When life has treated you the way it's treated Regina Mills, happiness isn't something you learn to expect.
Touch
There was a time when no one would dare touch Regina Mills. Being the Evil Queen prepared Regina for a life where touch was non essential. Touch can harm and scar, so there was no reason to give it much of a passing thought. When Henry came into her life, touch began to take on a different meaning. Pleasant touches happened frequently. Most were small but significant. A quick hug before school or a comforting squeeze in the middle of the night after a bad dream were equally as important to her. The feel of her son in her arms, from infancy to present, had began morphing her perception of touch.
Unlike with Henry, touch with Emma Swan had progressed so subtly that she hadn't even given it much thought. There were small brushes of hands when exchanging items. Knees that touched when sitting on the same side of the booth at Granny's during family dinners. More recently she had noticed the comforting hand that would fall on her shoulder or link with her own when she was feeling troubled. She noticed the bump of a shoulder against hers in joke when they bantered back and forth. The feel of Emma's magic when their lessons went awry. Then there was the occasional surprise hug from behind when Emma was feeling particularly playful and wanted to catch her off guard. During winter, there was the force of a snowball hitting her in the arm and the icy feeling of the snow touching her hands as she made a snowball in retaliation.
It was a week before Christmas when she finally realized that Emma's touch played a large role in her happiness. It was innocent but meaningful. They had agreed to wrap all of Henry's gifts together. The result was the two women sitting on the floor of her den in a sea of wrapping paper and supplies. The area around them was an absolute mess. Scraps of paper and discarded ribbon were thrown across her rug and furniture. When it was all done, they remained opposite each other on the floor with their toes barely touching and a glass of wine in their hands. They simply sat and coexisted in a comfortable silence for many moments before it happened.
A small giggle was the noise that drew Regina from her thoughts. She imagined that Emma was busy looking at something on her iPhone so she originally ignored the sound. After a few minutes, the giggle grew stronger and demanded her attention. She finally looked up to find Emma covering her mouth to hold back her laughter while looking strangely at her hair. Running her fingers through it seemed to do nothing to stifle Emma's laughter. She finally let out a huff of disapproval which spurred Emma into action. The gentle caress across her scalp sent a shiver through her body and caused a smile to grace her lips. The touch produced an equally exuberant smile to light up Emma's face while her hand held the offending piece of ribbon that she had worked loose from brown locks.
That moment was the changing moment for Regina. Thinking back at the other memories she had shared with the woman sitting across from her, she was struck with how easily it had all changed for her. Touch was no longer something she viewed as a bad thing, something to be avoided. Not when there are people like Emma Swan in the world who provided her with memories that she never wanted to forget.