Hey, so this is probably going to stay a one-shot but let me know if you like it!
Disclaimer: I own neither the characters nor the song.
"Did you find something?" Regina's gaze flickered up hopefully as Emma bounded suddenly from her seat in the study, watching her stretch out her cramped muscles.
"Nope. This author sure doesn't want to be found." Emma regretted her choice of words almost immediately as Regina's face fell in disappointment. She quickly strode over to the brunettes desk, touching her arm comfortingly in a way that had quickly become natural to both of them.
"But that doesn't mean we won't find him." She quickly amended, green eyes shining with earnestness as they met russet.
"Will we?" Regina let out a sigh, allowing the book in her hands to snap shut and averting her gaze away from Emma's. "Because we've been trying for weeks and I'm beginning to think I'm just wasting your time here."
"I don't mind." Emma quickly butt in, with a small smile. She was being completely sincere; she really didn't mind helping Regina. For one, she had fully committed to Operation Mongoose and she never gave up without a fight- Regina deserved her happy ending and she was going to do everything in her power to get it for her. Also... Well, she was starting to enjoy Regina's company more and more with each passing day. Regina's quick wit often had her doubled up in laughter, they had incomparable banter and Regina truly understood her in a way no one else did.
"But I mind. You have a job, life... Friends. I need to stop keeping you from all that." Regina's lips were downturned, and she glanced down gratefully at the hand still placed comfortingly on her arm which had begun to rub over her skin in soothing circles.
"You're my friend Regina. Honestly, you're the most important one I have and I want to be here, I want to help you." Her voice grew tentative at that point, neither one of them were the type to express emotion very easily and neither of them had many friends in their lives so understood completely the importance of their shared friendship.
"Thank you for saying that, I feel the same." Regina's dark eyes shone and she smiled softly at her in that way she sometimes did- like Emma was the most special person she had ever met. Emma felt her stomach roll like it always did when she received that look, no-one ever looked at her like that before and she knew then and there that this friendship meant everything and more to her.
"Can I ask you something?" Emma fidgeted slightly, and Regina rolled her eyes playfully in an exasperated manner that said- you really don't have to ask, making the blonde grin.
"So I promised to find you your happy ending, but what does that entail exactly? Getting Robin back?" Emma watched Regina's forehead crinkle at her words like she was suddenly deep in thought and she suddenly looked unsure.
"Well yes, I guess finding love would make me happy." Regina's face was still creased, she suddenly realised how lame that sounded, like her happy ending was defined by having a man.
"But..." Whatever Emma was going to say she thought better of and just shook her head. "Okay, then Robin Hood is what you'll get." Emma's voice carried a faux note of cheerfulness and this caused Regina to frown in confusion- Emma sounded sad, and that didn't make any sense.
"What were you going to say?" Regina blinked up at the blonde woman standing up in front of her desk. Emma had very abruptly withdrawn her hand and Regina instantly felt the loss of warmth and comfort that small touch had provided her with.
"Nothing." Emma shook her head quickly, looking uneasy as she picked up the radio on Regina's desk and started fiddling with the knobs. Like most electrical equipment in Storybrooke it was old fashioned and Emma found herself pulling out an aerial about 2 metres long.
"Tell me." Emma looked down to see the brunette peering up at her, a flicker of annoyance and curiosity in her otherwise neutral expression.
"I was just going to say... You have love. I mean you have Henry, my parents fuss over you more than they do me most of the time, little Neal adores you and... Well I'm your friend. That's a whole lot of love." Emma shifted awkwardly and shrugged her shoulders sloppily in that juvenile way she sometimes did, that Regina found both annoying and endearing.
Regina smiled at Emma's list of names, looking earnestly into the blonde's green eyes. "I know, and I'm incredibly grateful for each and every one of you. Truly. But I would just... It would be very nice to have someone look at me the way you and your pirate look at one another."
Emma startled at the mention of Hook and an eyebrow rose. Had she really forgotten to tell Regina of her break up with Killian? Hook was an okay guy, and easy to be with, but he wasn't what she was looking for- he had just kinda been there all the time and she finally gave in to his advances. But then she joined Operation Mongoose and had figured that her preference for spending time pouring through old boring books with her friend than going on dates with her boyfriend signified something wasn't quite right with that relationship. Or maybe it was just that there was something wrong with herself, but Emma didn't really care- she was happy.
"We're not together." Emma blurted after a moment of contemplation, and Regina's eyes widened. "Haven't been for weeks."
"Why didn't you tell me?" Regina's eyes narrowed for a moment, almost trying to discern whether Emma was lying to her. The blonde didn't seem like she had recently been through a break up, In fact she had seemed happier than usual these past few weeks, goofier and more, well Emma than Regina had ever seen her with Hook. She suddenly felt insecure; if they were truly friends wouldn't Emma have told her? Friends share that sort of information surely.
"Honestly the thought just never came up." Emma shrugged. She wasn't lying, in Regina's company Hook really was never on her mind. She tried not to think too deeply about why that was and instead tried to focus on getting the radio to work which was making a loud crackling sound and refusing to settle on a station.
"I see." Regina's response was soft, as if she too was deep in thought. She looked down at the book she had been pouring over the last few hours with a small frown. Suddenly finding the author didn't seem all that important to her after all. "That's certainly unusual." She remarked and searched the blonde's eyes for signs she was upset about the break up, but Emma was no longer listening, she had settled the radio onto a station and she had a childish grin on her face at her success.
"What is this infernal noise?" Regina wrinkled her nose but was holding back a fond smile for Emma who looked so very proud of herself.
"It's Capital." Emma shrugged, her foot tapping along to Justin Timberlake's latest track. "Not usually my first choice for music but with this old thing I'll take anything."
Regina just arched a brow and turned back to the book, opening it up to the last page she was on and scouring it. However, she suddenly felt demotivated from finding the author and she wondered why that was. She glanced up at the blonde who was dancing her way back to her seat- still looking incredibly proud of her simple accomplishment of getting the radio to work. She smirked slightly at the sight; Emma was just, precious sometimes. Regina felt sudden elation at the thought that she was no longer with the pirate; she was way too good for that fiend, for anyone really.
Emma plopped back down in the wheelie chair she had bought with her last week. (Regina had told her on no uncertain terms she was not to bring that ugly chair into her study but Emma had just ignored her and the brunette hadn't done anything about it as of yet.) She wheeled over to where Regina's desk was and tucked in the chair opposite Regina, following her cue and opening another book up, beginning to read while bopping her head to the music.
They stayed like that for another half an hour, listening to a medley of cheesy pop songs that Emma sang tunelessly to a verse or two of and Regina tutted, pretending to be irritated but her eyes giving away her amusement each time.
"I love this song." Emma muttered, looking up from her page as a beat started and Regina eyed her curiously as a female voice begin to sing in a sultry voice.
This was never the way I planned
Not my intention
"What is this song?" Regina closed the book once again- it's not like she had been paying much attention to it anyway, Emma was far more interesting to watch. The brunette listened closely to the lyrics.
"You haven't heard this song Regina? Everyone's heard this song!" Emma gaped incredulously at her for a moment before the chorus started and she joined in enthusiastically with it.
I kissed a girl and I liked it
The taste of her cherry chapstick
Regina's eyes widened at the lyrics to the chorus of the song and she lifted an eyebrow, captivated as Emma continued to sing unabashedly. Emma seemed really into it and she knew each and every word.
At the bridge of the song, Regina leaned back in her chair. Emma wasn't the best singer yet Regina was entranced by her voice, and the song and she couldn't take her eyes off of Emma's lips as she sang along.
Us girls we are so magical
Soft skin, red lips, so kissable
Hard to resist so touchable
Too good to deny it...
The rest of the song was a blur to the brunette who found herself slightly breathless. The way Emma's eyes glittered as she sang along was like she was recounting her own experiences and the thought of Emma liking, kissing, being with women made Regina feel weak and her stomach fluttered.
Emma chuckled to herself as the song ended- a dirty little sound that sent shivers down Regina's spine; before she caught Regina's eye and she noticed for the first time her strange mannerism.
"Uh.. You okay?" Emma watched Regina's tongue sneak out and drag across her full lips, almost nervously.
"Fine." Answered the brunette after exhaling a shaky breath. "So, have you?"
"Have I what?" Emma frowned, watching the strange expression on Regina's face and leaning closer, a small invasion of her personal space that was typical for the two of them. "Are you sure you're okay Regina?"
"I'm sure." The brunette breathed out the words, her eyes locking with concerned green ones. "Have you ever... Kissed a girl?"
"What?" Emma's eyes widened in understanding at the direction Regina's thoughts had headed, and she gulped as her stomach started churning. This was unchartered territory for the two of them, who had always seen one another with male partners and blindly accepted the implication of that. Emma took a deep breath; their faces really were incredibly close together. "Well yes, I have. Have you?" Emma laughed nervously, she had done more than simply kissed a woman before and she wondered if her facial expression showed that. Well, of course it did, Regina could read her like a book.
Regina shook her head no, eyes darkening slightly as she saw Emma's gaze drop onto her lips. "I can't say I have, Em-ma."
Emma's eyes were tracing the seductive swell of Regina's red lips which parted deliciously to enunciate her name. Her gaze paused to admire the sexy lip scar situated just above them in a way she had never allowed herself to do before.
"Would you like..." Emma's question was cut off by the feel of soft plump lips pressed firmly against hers, and her eyes immediately fluttered shut. She reached out blindly to sidle her hands into sleek tresses and pulled the brunette closer to her, ignoring the pain of the desk digging into her stomach as she leaned across it.
Regina released a noise halfway between a mewl and a moan as Emma increased the ferocity of the kiss and their lips were suddenly moving desperately against each other's, soft and hard and burning with desire.
All too soon, Regina pulled away and Emma's voice was caught in her throat as she saw Regina was looking at her in that way again- like she was everything and Emma felt so right and so whole and so present.
Regina deliberately brushed all the books off the desk- she had no need for the author when her happy ending was clearly right in front of her and had been for a while. Besides, there were far more useful things she had in mind that the desk could be used for.
Suddenly Emma was around the desk and Regina rose from her seat, allowing Emma to wrap her muscular arms around her tightly, in a way that pressed her lusciously against the soft curves and hard edges of Emma's body.
"So... Did you like it?" Emma asked gently, face tilted, clearly angling for another kiss.
"Yes, Emma. I liked it."