a/n: Fifth installment of my 'A Year of Swan Queen Holidays' fic series. I am beyond far behind on writing and I apologize for that. I seem to be doing that a lot lately but I hope this lil morsel helps you forgive me ;) Much love to my readers who stick by me and the new ones who may have come across this. Love to all :D Enjoy your reading and reviews = love. ;) heh
Fireworks of Their Own
(5th in the 'A Year of Swan Queen Holidays' series)
"Mmm," Emma loved the smells at a cookout. "Are the burgers almost ready? I'm starving." She questioned as she walked up to the grill where David was cooking the hamburgers and hot dogs for the town's Fourth of July celebration.
"How can you be starving? You've taste tested everything else all day. I saw your mother shooing you away from the food."
Emma just shrugged and shoved her hands in her back pockets. "I think my stomach is like a Mary Poppins bag," she chuckled. "Plus I'm taking advantage of this because Regina doesn't let me taste test at home. I get my hands slapped."
David didn't miss the term 'home' and he smiled to himself, grateful his daughter had finally found happiness. Just like any other father, he felt his daughter deserved the world. There was a few moments of silence with only the sound of the sizzle from the grill before he spoke. "So, you and Regina. Things still okay with you two?"
"Yeah. Better than okay, actually." She smiled at the thought of the other woman and how she felt around her. "I don't think I've been this, this happy my entire life."
"When you find that right person, the one who gives you that feeling that everything is going to be alright ,and makes you smile just at the thought of them," David paused as his eyes found Mary Margaret talking amongst the townspeople, "you just know."
Emma thought about his words and her own eyes found Regina across the way, the brunette woman seeming to sense it and turn to look back at her, a warm smile spreading across her face before she turned back. "She makes me feel everything."
"I think you're both good for each other," David stated casually as he flipped over the burgers one last time. Sure there may have been a part of him that thought other wise when he first heard about the two of them, but seeing how happy his daughter had been over the months changed any doubt he may have had. "When you find the right puzzle pieces and they snap in place, you realize there was no other fit."
They fell into a lull of silence once again as David took the burgers off the grill one by one and placed them in the tinfoil try. Emma placed a cover over them and picked up the tray to take over to the table but paused a moment to ask, "Do you think Regina…"
David interrupted, knowing what she was going to ask. "Only you know, Emma." He leaned in to kiss the side of her forehead before turning back to the grill to throw more burgers onto itl.
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"Where in the world are you putting that food?" Regina inquired as she watched her girlfriend grab another burger and place it on her plate, loading it with all the toppings. "You've been eating all day, how can you still be hungry?"
Emma was just about to bite into her second burger, after a previous burger and hot dog, her mouth open over the bun and her eyes wide, when she turned to look at Regina. Henry sat there across from them and chuckled, finding his moms antics amusing. The corner of Emma's mouth turned up in a grin at the brunette before she chomped down on the burger and just shrugged. Regina shook her head and rolled her eyes at the childish behavior, but couldn't help the tiniest of twitches at the corner of her own mouth in amusement towards the blonde. She always seemed to be able to do that to her, she was her weakness and Emma knew that.
Mary Margaret looked over at them from one of the other picnic tables and watched their banter and teasing one another. She witnessed her daughter throw a chip in Regina's direction as the brunette scoffed and threw one of her own. Mary Margaret nudged David, nodding her head in their direction. "Remind you of anyone?" She asked.
"At least they're throwing chips and not hitting each other with rocks," David teased, referring to how he and Snow (Mary Margaret) had met.
"Oh shush, you." She jabbed him in the rib as he jerked away and laughed. "I don't recall ever seeing Regina that happy or carefree," she mused.
David regarded them, Emma with a huge, genuine smile on her face as Henry laughed and Regina tried her best to glare at the two of them but failed and ended up chuckling herself. "I don't think we've ever seen Emma smile that big. They bring out the best in each other, which also reminds me of someone." He added before turning his attentions to his wife and placed a kiss upon her cheek, wrapping his arm around her.
Mary Margaret leaned into the embrace. "I took Regina's happiness away from her back then," she began somberly. " I'm just glad that, in a way, I had a hand in giving it back to her now."
The day had gone perfectly. The food was great, everyone in town got along and had a good time. But now things were winding down and everyone was finding a spot to watch the fireworks. All but Emma, who was searching for Regina instead.
"Hey, have you seen Regina anywhere?" She asked Ruby when the younger woman came walking by to join some others across the way.
"I think I saw her over there," Ruby pointed without stopping. Emma saw Henry and some of the children from the town setting off small fireworks of their own. Off to the side she found Regina standing there watching over them.
"Thanks, Ruby!" Emma smiled and called back to her friend before walking over to where her girlfriend stood. Girlfriend… it still gave her tingles at the thought that Regina was with her.
"Henry, please be careful," Regina called out to her son as she watched him light one of the bigger fireworks.
"Hey," Emma stated softly, causing Regina to turn, a loving smile coming upon the brunette's lips. Her smile always gave Emma those warm butterflies, especially when she was the one who made the woman smile. "And what is a gorgeous woman like you doing out here all by herself?" She questioned as she pulled Regina to her and wrapped her arms around her waist, placing a chaste kiss upon her lips.
"Making sure our son comes home with all ten fingers," the brunette answered, bringing her own arms around Emma and brushing their noses together before kissing her back tenderly.
Emma smiled as she reached up and caressed her cheek. "You know, you're pretty perfect."
That caused Regina to let out a small scoff of a laugh. "You and I both know that is not true."
"No, actually what I know is," Emma started as she trailed her finger along Regina's jawline, "you make me feel everything. I always felt something was missing, but I never knew what it was. I thought maybe it was because I didn't know my parents and that if I found them, found my family, that it would be what I was looking for. But it turned out, that wasn't it. It didn't fix it." She stopped and searched the brunette's eyes as her hand came down to rest upon the woman's heart before continuing to speak. "No matter what you did in your past, while I don't condone it, it made you the Regina I know that is standing in front of me today, here and now. And I wouldn't change you for anything. You're the fit that I was looking for. You were what I was missing. My heart, my life, feels whole with you in it."
Regina stood there, her eyes glassing over with threatening tears ready to fall if she dare blink. The sound of the first firework booming over the night sky broke them from their intense moment as they both jumped at the sound and looked up, Regina taking that moment to bat away the tear that spilled forth onto her cheek. Emma never let go, her arm remaining around the brunette's waist as they watched the night sky fill with colorful sparks.
"I love you," Emma whispered under the boom of the fireworks, as she continued to stare upwards, thinking she had spoken the words soft enough that Regina couldn't hear her. The fear those three words brought, the fear of loss, the fear of laying your heart out for the taking still spooked the blonde if she was truthful with herself. But she knew it was already too late for her. Regina had her heart and it had gladly been given.
Regina had barely heard those three little words over the crackles and pops of the fireworks overhead, but the important thing was… she had heard them. And her heart tightened, but in a good way. She glanced over at Emma standing next to her and found her more mesmerizing than watching any firework. The blonde felt those dark chocolate eyes upon her and turned to look into them. Regina slowly moved in and claimed Emma's lips as her hand came up to caress the side of her neck, moving around to the back and pulling her closer to intensify the kiss.
When it ended, she pulled back just a fraction to find those warm eyes she cherished looking into. "I, I love you too." With those words she watched as the blonde's eyes lit up, like their own fireworks, and she found lips upon hers once again.
"So, does this make us officially official?" Emma inquired with a slight blush to her cheeks. Regina gave her a questioning arch of her brow. "The whole exchange of those three little words?' An adorable, shy and crooked little smile playing upon her lips. Sure they had been together for months but she couldn't recall them ever saying those words to each other until that moment.
"Hey, moms!" Henry yelled across the way, interrupting them before Regina could answer. They both turned to him in unison. "Can I stay over at Alex's house? A couple of us want to do a movie marathon."
Without waiting to discuss it, Emma immediately replied back, "sure, kiddo!" Regina turned to give her a look, as Emma returned a cheeky one of her own. "What? I mean not to sound cliché but I thought we could go make some fireworks of our own?" She stated in a hushed voice as she cocked her head to the side, trying to look cute.
Regina let out a small chuckle at the blonde's attempt. "When are you not cliché, dear?"
Emma trailed her finger along the low neckline of the brunette's blouse. "So… is that a yes or a no to my idea?"
Regina regarded her a tic before looking over her shoulder at their son. "Call us when you're ready to come home tomorrow," she called out to him, then moved to place her hand on the small of Emma's back as they made their way to the car.
They had made love well past midnight. Yes, that's what it was, Regina thought to herself as she lay there awake, the blonde nestled against her in contented sleep. That's what was different. It wasn't just sex as it had been with others in the past, only wishing to release stress or receive pleasure. No, this was the difference, she truly loved Emma and the blonde loved her in return. It intensified every look, every caress, every kiss. It was slow and sensual. She knew with Emma she wanted different, she wanted to show her love and that meant opening up her heart, and she was scared of that. It was part of the reason why she waited so long for this. But their mutual confession that night gave her that final push she needed to feel free to show Emma just how much she meant. Fireworks of their own, indeed.