A/N: this is a cute little oneshot for the 100th reviewer of my current AU fic, Always Alone. SwanQueen friendship. Prompt revealed at the bottom.
The house was silent. The steady tick tock from the old grandfather clock in the hallway reverberated through the rooms, echoing off the walls. Regina turned the page in her book, the rustle of paper magnified ten-fold in the silence. She continued to read.
When her cell phone beeped, she picked it up at once. It was a text from Henry, letting her know he was going to stay at Violet's house that night. It didn't surprise her. At seventeen, he spent most of his time with his girlfriend now. She sent a quick reply thanking him for letting her know and tossed the phone to the end of the couch. She sank back into the cushions and placed her book on her chest, closing her eyes.
She hadn't expected Henry to remember. She hadn't expected anyone to remember. After all, why would they? It wasn't like the residents of Storybrooke were able to keep track of every terrible magical attack they had suffered over the years. There were far too many. But she would never be able to forget this particular one.
As she lay on the couch, she tried to conjure up his face. She frowned in frustration when she found the features fuzzy and distorted, his blue eyes not quite recognisable and his expression vacant and cold. She sat up, snapped her book shut, and got to her feet. She couldn't spend the rest of her Friday night alone in her house wallowing over a man three years dead. Grabbing her purse and shrugging on a cardigan, she headed out the door and towards the only person whom she knew would be able to make her feel better.
It was a warm night in early May and Regina forewent her car and decided to walk the short distance to her friend's house. She knew the waterside property couldn't compete with the mansion in many respects, but she had to admit it had a rather spectacular view. As she strolled down the lane, the setting sun glinted off the surface and Regina found herself smiling despite the day.
It wasn't until Regina had pushed open the wooden gate that she glanced up at the house and noted that all the windows were in complete darkness. Her stomach sank. Of course she wasn't home. Why would she be? It was a Friday night after all and most people had better things to do on a Friday than sit at home waiting for their depressed best friend to come over. That said, since that loser Hook had disappeared with some cheap wench the previous year, the blonde was definitely spending more time at home. Deciding to double check, Regina climbed the steps to the porch and rang the bell.
As she waited, she turned and gazed out at the sea once more. The bottom of the sun was just kissing the horizon and she watched as it slid below the distant line. She was so enraptured by the slow beauty of physics that she didn't even hear the door opening.
"Regina?"
The brunette spun around and her mouth fell open at what she saw.
"What are you wearing?" she asked, trying hard not to laugh.
"I wasn't expecting company," Emma said, folding her arms defensively over her chest but failing entirely in covering her outfit.
"But you answered the door in it?" Regina said, biting her lip to keep back the giggles now.
"Well I saw it was you and I figured that, since you're my best friend, you wouldn't mind."
A bark of laughter escaped Regina and suddenly she was doubled over, hands on her knees and her body shaking with mirth. Emma scowled and went to close the door but Regina held out her hand, stopping the heavy wood.
"No, wait. I'm sorry," Regina said, wiping her streaming eyes. "I'm sorry, Emma. I think you look really -,"
She couldn't finish the sentence however and collapsed into laughter again. Emma just leaned against the door frame, waiting for her friend to regain control. When Regina finally seemed somewhat composed, Emma stepped away from the door and invited her friend inside with the wave of an arm.
"So did you just come over here to laugh or did you want something?" Emma asked, leading the way down into her basement were, it became apparent, she had been watching a movie and eating copious amounts of junk food.
Regina sobered as she settled in a large reclining chair beside Emma's own seat, remembering the reason for her visit after her initial distraction.
"I … I needed to be with a friend today, that's all. Mind if I hang out here?" she asked, leaning forwards and grabbing a handful of popcorn.
"Today?" Emma frowned, glancing at her phone and taking in the date. "Oh shit. Regina, I'm sorry. I completely forgot."
She stood at once from her chair and came to sit on the arm of Regina's, pulling her friend into a hug. Regina found her face pressed into the soft fabric and wrapped her arms around Emma tightly, relishing the familiar scent and feel of her friend.
"It's ok," Regina said quietly. "Everyone forgot. I just … can I please stay here tonight? I don't want to be alone."
"Of course," Emma assured, sliding herself into Regina's chair so they were squished almost awkwardly together. Regina didn't mind however and she twisted her body so it was curled around Emma's, her fluffy outfit pressed tightly against her skin.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Emma asked after a while.
"No," Regina replied. "I don't think there's anything left to be said to be honest. We can just watch whatever you were watching before I arrived. I just want to be distracted."
Understanding entirely, Emma leaned forwards and hit play on the remote. An old black and white movie flickered to life and Regina recognised it as Some Like it Hot. She smiled. Regina had been the person to introduce Emma to the classics and she was pleasantly surprised to find out her friend watched them without her.
"Don't gloat, it's unbecoming," Emma said, practically feeling the smirk on her friend's face.
"Sorry," Regina sniggered, nuzzling a little closer in Emma's warmth.
Emma wrapped her arm more firmly around her friend and dropped a kiss to the top of her head. She heard Regina sigh in contentment. They watched the movie in silence for about half an hour when the question Regina had been burning to ask couldn't be held back any more.
"Why?"
"Why what?" Emma said.
"Why are you wearing a penguin onesie?"
Emma hesitated before answering.
"Penguins are one of my favourite animals. They're birds but they swim and don't fly. They live on land but they're not really built for walking with their tiny little legs. The mothers leave the eggs and get the fathers to look after their young. They don't quite fit into the traditions of nature and yet they're a really successful species. I suppose they remind me a little of myself. All my life I never felt like I quite fitted in until I came here. I was always just bumbling along. Existing. Now, I think I'm somewhat successful."
Regina turned her face up and smiled at her friend.
"Well you certainly fit successfully into this town. In fact, Storybrooke wouldn't be Storybrooke without you. Just … maybe don't go out in public like this. We like our crazies here but I think this might be a step too far."
Emma narrowed her eyes at her giggling friend and poked her in her side. Regina wriggled in her lap, still laughing, and turned her attention back to the movie. She hadn't thought she'd be smiling that day when she woke up. She rarely smiled when she thought about Robin. But somehow Emma had made her not only smile but laugh and have a genuinely good time. Emma always managed to do that, Regina realised as she lay her head against her friend's onesie-clad chest.
A/N: and the prompt from anotherOUATwriter: The one in which Regina seeks comfort and finds Emma in a onesie (giant soft toy to cuddle)