Regina knows that she didn't choose this. Falling in love with Emma Swan was never something she would've chosen for herself, but it's something she's fallen into with a simple grace, and surprisingly, it isn't all that horrible.

In fact, it's rather pleasant. But it's also heartbreaking, because Emma could never love her back, not like that, and so loving Emma is like choking on nothing. She can't breathe, but there's really nothing there stopping the air from being breathed in. It's confusing, and it hurts. It hurts like she's burning up from the inside out with every second she can't hold Emma or kiss Emma or even smile at Emma like she wants too.

But there's nothing she can do but continue on, soldier forwards, and continue to support Emma in her relationship with that insipid, vulgar, rum-soaked piece of utter trash. Hook. The man who helped in her kidnapping and torture. The man who strapped her down and shot bolts of electricity through her body. But honestly, she's so over it. Whatever.

"Regina?" The former queen looks up. Shit. She should've known that Emma would find her here, hidden says in her vault. Emma always seems to find her. And ugh, now she sounds like one of those disgusting Charmings that really aren't that bad and that infuriates her to no end and -

"Regina? Are you okay?" Emma interrupts her train of thought. Regina looks up, shakes her head, and blinks.

"Yes, dear," She says quickly. "I'm absolutely fine."

"Are you sure? You don't look fine," Emma says, and goddammit but Regina knows it's true. Her skin is pale and her clothes dirty and her eyes framed with bags and she's so tired and she can't remember the last time she slept. But she would never tell the savior that.

(And fuck that, because of course she'll tell Emma. With a little smile and a few pleases she'd tell Emma almost anything, hell she'd do almost anything if the blonde asked nicely.)

"I'm just peachy, Emma," She says sarcastically.

"Okay, you're definitely not fine."

"What gave you that impression?"

"Besides the fact that you said peachy? You look like hell, 'Gina."

"Don't call me that."

She's always hated that nickname, but from Emma it isn't so bad. It's still pretty bad, but Emma says it in this affectionate way and Regina just melts.

"Please?" Emma asks, sitting down next to Regina on the floor, and a little piece of Regina breaks at the sight of her, eyes so wide and hopeful.

"Fine. I feel like hell, is that what you want to hear?"

"No, what I want to hear is how I can fix it."

"You can't fix this one, Emma Swan."

"Of course I can. Tell me about it."

Regina sighs, and looks at Emma like it hurts. And it does hurt, it hurts so much, and there's nothing she can do about it. The blonde holds out a hand for Regina to take. Regina takes the opportunity and takes Emma's hand, twining their fingers together and staring down at them like she doesn't believe it.

"I'm not so good at this," Regina admits.

"At what? You're practically good at everything, Regina."

"Being vulnerable. You - you make it easier, but it's still hard," Regina says softly, and Emma looks bewildered.

"How do I make it easier? You know what, nevermind. This is about you. Tell me, what's wrong?"

"I have . . . I suppose I've . . . I've done something horrible, Emma."

"I seriously doubt that," The blonde snorted. She couldn't imagine this Regina, redeemed Regina, doing anything terrible.

"I didn't mean to, but I've . . . I've fallen for someone I can never have." Regina's heart sunk into her shoes as Emma frowned. She looked down at their intertwined hands and held back a sob. "I'm so sorry, Emma."

"Why are you - you don't like Killian, do you? You hate him," Emma said in disbelief. Regina almost gagged at the mere thought of loving such a vile human as Killian Jones.

"God no, Emma."

"Thank goodness, that would be - well - weird. And frankly, it would suck."

"Yes, it would, as you so eloquently put it, suck."

There's a long, quiet pause. Emma starts to play with Regina's fingers absently, and the former queen closes her eyes as she basks in the feeling. This is even more than she'd hoped for. She can't ruin this, and telling Emma her feelings would surely ruin their friendship.

"Can you tell me?" Emma asks in such a small voice. Regina shakes her head, and Emma asks: "Please? I just - I need to know so I can move on."

Regina freezes. What the hell does that mean? She needs to know, so she asks, bluntly, because Regina has never been one to beat around the bush.

"What does that mean?"

"Nothing, I just, well, I thought you knew."

"Knew what, Emma?"

"That I'm in love with you?" Emma says, her nose crinkling up in confusion and it's so adorable and Regina doesn't even pause she just pulls Emma in by their connected hands and sears their lips together in a burning kiss. Emma, in all her shock, takes a surprisingly short amount of time to get her shit together and kiss her back. Their lips move gently together in a slow kiss until Regina breaks away for air, leaning her forehead against Emma's.

They sit like that for a few minutes, just breathing the same air and existing together, hands still tangled and noses brushing. If Regina moved even slightly forward she'd be kissing Emma again.

"I thought you were in love with someone?" Emma asks. Regina rolls her eyes.

"Yes, you, you idiot," She sighs, and Emma's smile is so wide and beaming and her eyes sparkle as she asks - "Really?" - and Regina huffs.

"Yes, really."

And they keep kissing. And kissing and kissing until they are both as starved for air as they are for each other.