A/N: For roommate day, I just had to return to my Wicked fanfic roots and my favorite pair of roommates ever. If Emma and Regina replaced Elphaba and Galinda during their (bookverse) time at Shiz.

"My mother will be furious when she hears of this," Regina fumed. Her first day at university, and it was already a disaster. She'd been just late enough to miss out on the chance to pair herself up with another fashionable girl of her station, and now Emma Swan was her roommate. The girl with the messy blonde hair and the worn red dress and absolute lack of decorum.

"Your mother will have no complaints," the headmistress replied. "While I know Miss Swan may not be ideal, she is a princess in her land. You, Miss Mills, will have to learn to live with this."

Regina had never been to Misthaven, but it must be positively barbaric if Emma was any indication. The princess dressed like a commoner and kept to herself, always buried in some book or another. And she had the most unsettling habit of watching Regina when the brunette was primping in front of the mirror.

But Emma was only a problem in the evenings. Regina had been able to distance herself from her embarrassing roommate, finding a place at the forefront of the group of rich and fashionable girls she'd longed to live with. Regina was something of a star among them because she was the one who brought stories about Emma's odd behavior and gave them all something to laugh at.

Emma knew this, was obviously aware that they were talking about her, but she never seemed to mind, just continuing to watch Regina.

"Are you going to the Christmas Ball?" Regina asked her roommate on a dare from the other girls. None of them particularly wanted Emma there, but it would be amusing to see what she wore and how she danced. Regina played along, even though talking to Emma was something she avoided at all costs.

Emma looked up from her book, startled. "What?"

"The Christmas Ball," Regina repeated. "It's next week. Everyone is going."

"I'm not much of one for balls," Emma said, lifting her book up again, but Regina just knew that she was still watching.

"But this one will be so much fun." Regina turned back to her vanity, holding up various earrings as she tried to find just the right ones for her elegant gown. "There will be boys. God knows it's been forever since we've seen any of them."

Emma finally closed her book and set it down on the bed beside her. "I don't care for boys."

"Well, yes, you only care for books. But you will marry someday." Regina settled on a pair of diamonds and put them on, admiring the sparkle.

"I don't think I will."

Regina whipped around at that. Not marrying wasn't even an option for her, not with a mother like Cora, not when, for all her family's wealth, they had no title. She just gaped at Emma.

"Certainly not to a boy," Emma added. "I don't care for them."

Regina took a few steps closer to Emma's bed. "Not at all?"

"Not at all."

Now this was a story that Regina could carry back to her friends.

She didn't.

Regina stood by the window, watching the blizzard raging outside. She couldn't see much but a blur of white. In conditions like this, there was no chance the boys could make it in from their school, and no chance the headmistress would let the girls out.

What a waste. She'd already put up her hair and applied her makeup, and her deep green dress was waiting for her on her bed. She turned away from the window with a sigh to see Emma coming through the door with two mugs.

Emma stood there silently for a second before holding out one of the mugs. "Cocoa?" Regina took it, looking down to see a swirl of whipped cream and a dash of cinnamon on top. "Family recipe," Emma explained, taking a sip and coming away with a line of whipped cream on her upper lip.

Regina offered her a slight smile, setting her cocoa down so that she could put her dress safely away in the closet. She held the bodice up to her chest, imagining again how perfect it would have looked tonight.

"I'm sorry your ball was cancelled," Emma said as she took up her usual spot on her bed. "You look lovely."

Regina got compliments on her looks all the time, but never from someone like Emma, someone who simply didn't care about such things. "Thank you," she said, and meant it. She hung her dress and went back to her bed, mirroring Emma.

"Not going out to commiserate with your friends?"

The whipped cream had begun to melt into the cocoa and it was deliciously rich when Regina tried it. "Did you want me to?"

"No," Emma said quickly.

"I know you like your solitude."

"You know I have no other choice besides solitude," Emma pointed out.

"Well, you could try to make friends." Regina wasn't entirely sure if Emma did have any friends. If so, they were certainly not the right ones.

But Emma just studied her with piercing green eyes, head tilted just slightly to the side as if to see her better. "So I can be miserable like you?" she asked. "Beneath all your sparkle you're a smart girl, Regina, and a nice one. But you hide it all so others will like you."

"You don't know me," Regina scoffed.

"I pay attention," Emma said. "And I'm good at reading people. You are so much more than your friends and your parents want you to be."

Regina wasn't quite sure how to respond to that. She gave Emma a slight smile, her eyes going watery unbidden. "I'm sorry I've treated you as I have," she finally said, because she might not know where they were going from here but they certainly couldn't go back to the stony silence between them.

"I know." Emma smiled back at her, and Regina stayed in for the night.