AN: Hello! I haven't written a fanfic (or anything really) in about 13 years, and I removed them because they weren't very good! However, this idea popped into my head and I decided to go with it and see how I got on. The story was inspired by the Abba song of the same name. I hope you enjoy it. Please review, all comments are welcome. :D
Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon A Time or When I Kissed the Teacher by Abba, I just borrowed the characters and the idea for fun!
This sucks! I wish they would just stop talking at me, let me look at the material and try some exercises myself! Listening to someone ramble on for an hour isn't teaching me anything. I could be doing so much more on my own! Ruby has had her hand up to ask a question for 10 minutes and is still being ignored. What the hell is the point in this!
I wonder what's for dinner later…
Haha that squirrel fell out of their tree!
Wait, what happened there? Oh, she listened to Ruby's question, ignored her and kept talking at us. Great.
Finally! Let's get something done!
Just as Emma's class are set some work to complete on their own the bell rings signalling the end of their lesson. "Well that was pointless! Why give us the opportunity to ask questions if she wasn't going to answer them!" Ruby fumed as they packed up their belongings.
"I know, if she wasn't going to do anything then why ask what you wanted? I wish they would let us learn more on our own. Listening to her for an hour has taught me nothing, I would have been better staying at home."
"At least it's over for today. What are you doing tonight?" Ruby asks as they leave the classroom.
"Regina and her parents are coming over for dinner. She has been away traveling since she graduated but she is back now and has been offered a great job they want to tell us about. What about you?"
"Granny has offered me some extra hours at the diner. She knows I want to save to buy a car so she has been working me into the schedule wherever she can."
Emma laughs, "Awesome, the sooner you get a car the better!"
The pair start walking home, chatting and laughing, taking the same route they have followed every day since they started high school. When they reach the fork in the road, they say their goodbyes and head to their respective homes.
As she walks Emma thinks about the upcoming dinner, she hasn't seen Regina for three months and she can't wait to see her!
Flashback
Regina and her parents moved into the house next door to Emma when she was 9 and Regina was 15. They were new to town and keen to make friends with anyone who lived there. Since Storybrooke was such a small close-knit community everyone was aware that a new family were moving in. On the morning the moving van pulled into the street Emma had been sitting on the swing in the garden daydreaming about ice cream. She saw the van approaching and shouted on her mom.
"Mom, they are here!"
"Emma don't shout! The van hasn't even stopped yet. I know I am the head of the welcoming committee, but they need to be out the van first before I can do anything!"
Mary Margaret was very active in the town. She was head of the town welcoming committee, a member of the PTA, chief volunteer at the hospital and a teacher at Emma's school. When she had heard that the house next door had sold, she had been more than happy to be the one to welcome the new family to the community.
"But mom, you have to be there to welcome them, so you should be there now!"
"Okay, Okay, calm down. I will head over with their welcome wagon. You stay here."
"But I want to come too! You said that they had a daughter, I could be her new friend! She lives right next door; it would be so cool!"
"Emma, calm down! I told you, their daughter is a little older than you and she is already in high school. I am sure she will be friends with you, but she will want to make friends her own age."
Emma deflated at this. She remembered her mom mentioning the new girls age, but she had forgotten about that and just been excited at the prospect of a new family living next door. The street Emma lived on was full of older couples, Ruby and Emma's other school friends all lived a few blocks away.
"Fine, I'll calm down and let her make her own friends. Can I come over anyway? I would like to say hello to them."
Mary Margaret saw the disappointment in her daughters' eyes and agreed she could join her in welcoming the family to the neighbourhood.
Emma waited in the front garden while Mary Margaret collected the welcome wagon. By now the moving van had pulled into the driveway as had a large fancy black Mercedes. An older gentleman had gotten out of the van and was making his way towards the car. He opened the driver's door and out stepped the most well-dressed woman Emma had ever seen. She was tall, slim and impeccably dressed in a navy blue pantsuit, cream shirt and high heels. From where Emma was standing, she couldn't hear the conversation, but she could see the gentleman speaking to someone else inside the car.
Emma tried to see the girl through the car windows, but she couldn't make her out due to the angle they had parked. However, at that moment, Mary Margaret returned, and they made their way over to welcome the newcomers.
The couple saw them coming and made their way down the driveway to meet them
"Good morning, welcome to Storybrooke! I'm Mary Margaret Swan and this is my daughter Emma. We are delighted that you have chosen to move to our small town, and we hope that you will be very happy here. The town likes to make everyone feel at home and we have prepared a small welcome wagon for you to enjoy."
She passes over the welcome wagon and shakes hands with the couple. "Thank you so much! We have been looking forward to this move for months now but had to tie up some loose ends first before we could leave Boston! I'm Cora Mills, this is my husband Henry, and this is our daughter Regina."
Emma looked behind the couple and noticed the couple's daughter had climbed out of the car and was standing shyly in the background. "Regina, come and meet our new neighbours. This is Mary Margaret and Emma." Regina stepped forward and said a very quiet hello.
"Regina is quite shy" Cora said placing her hand on Regina's shoulder. "She has been getting home schooled by Henry for the past 2 years due to the demands of my old job. We moved around a lot during that time and Regina would have missed too much if she had been to stay in the normal school system. We are hoping she will come out of her shell again when she joins Storybrooke high next week. Small town life will be an adjustment for us all, but it is one that we are looking forward to."
Emma smiled at Regina, "Hi, I'm Emma. I know I'm younger than you, but you can be my friend if you want. I can tell you where to get the best ice cream!" At this all the adults laughed and even Regina seemed to brighten up a bit. Emma looked up at her mom, "Mom, can I take Regina into our house and show her my room?"
"Emma, remember what I said before. They have only just arrived, and Regina might not want to come with you just now. Be patient."
"It's ok Mrs Swan, I would be happy to go with Emma for a little while, but I need to help my mom and dad empty the moving van first. If you like you can help with some of the smaller boxes Emma, then we can still get to know each other." Regina replied, looking at Emma with a smile.
"Can I help Regina mom, please?" Emma said looking at her mom with puppy dog eyes.
Cora replied before anyone else could, "Regina, go with Emma and have some fun. Your father and I need to move the big stuff and organise things anyway. You can help to set up your room later."
"Awesome, thank you Mrs Mills!"
"Please dear, call me Cora."
With that Emma shouted thank you once again, grabbed Regina's hand and dragged her into her house and up to her room.
"So…" Emma said sitting on her bed, suddenly not sure how to talk to someone that was 6 years older than her.
Regina on the other hand was looking around the room at all of Emma's photographs and artwork.
"Your room is very nice. Did you draw these?" Emma nodded. "They are really good! I'm rubbish at art. I like to read and I'm good with numbers, but I wouldn't be able to draw anything you could recognise. You have a real talent Emma. Are these your friends?" Regina asked pointing to the largest photo that was sitting on emails small desk.
Emma got up and walked over, "Yes. That's my best friend Ruby, she lives with her granny over the diner in town. And that's August and Neil, they are twins. We have been friends since we were 3."
Regina continued to look around Emma's room as she watched on. She stopped when she spotted a pile of board games in the corner. "Oh, I love games!" Regina exclaimed, "Do you want to play twister?"
"Yeah that sounds great, let me make some space."
And so began Emma and Regina friendship. Living next door to each other and sharing a love of board games bonded the two despite their age difference. Regina taught Emma how to play chess and Emma coached Regina on the best tactics for Buckaroo.
As they grew older, they became even closer. Regina was always there to help Emma with her homework if she needed it, tutoring her in Math when she started high school, and Emma was always available to help Regina relax and chill out if her coursework became too stressful.
Every summer the two were inseparable, hanging out, going shopping, even vacationing together with their families. Emma helped Regina get over her first heartbreak when she was 17 and in return Regina was there for Emma when she decided it was time to come out to her parents. They are best friends; age didn't matter to them even when everyone else made comments about it. To them all that mattered was how well they connected.
End Flashback
When Emma got home, she went straight to her room to get changed. Regina had been traveling for 3 months and Emma was excited to see her again. They have known each other for nearly 9 years now and this had been the longest they had gone without seeing each other. Sure, they had sent emails and had the occasional Skype call, but it wasn't the same.
At 6.30pm the doorbell rang. When Emma came downstairs Cora and Henry were already sitting chatting to her dad.
"Where's Regina?" Emma asked when she reached the bottom of the stairs.
"Nice to see you too Emma! We are fine, thanks for asking!" said Henry with a smile.
"Sorry Henry. Hello! Hi Cora, I like your dress. Where is Regina?"
"She will be along in a minute dear," Cora replied with a chuckle.
Emma sat on the couch with a sigh and started fidgeting with the cushions. "How was school Emma?" David asked, trying to get Emma to engage with him and their guests. "It was ok. The geometry temp we have is rubbish, she keeps lecturing us and not letting us try to do examples of what we are learning. It useless, if she stays for the rest of the semester, I can't see anyone passing their final exam."
David nodded, "Hopefully they will find a permanent teacher soon, someone who knows how to engage the class." As David and Emma are conversing, Cora and Henry share a secret smile. Just then the doorbell rings.
"I'LL GET IT!" Emma jump off the couch and runs to the door pulling it open as quickly as she can. She had intended to jump on top of Regina and give her a massive hug for the first time in three months, but she is momentarily frozen when she takes in Regina's appearance in the doorway. Her hair has grown and has been curled slightly, she is wearing a short-sleeved blouse that shows off her tanned and toned arms, linen trousers and heeled sandals. She looks more beautiful than Emma ever thought she could. Emma has had a small (huge) crush on Regina for the last two years but never acted on it as she didn't want to ruin their friendship, also, why would Regina want to be with someone that is still in high school?
"Well are you going to move to let me in or are you going to continue to stare at me like I have two heads?" Regina chuckles breaking Emma's daydream.
"What? Sorry! Hi! I'm so happy you are home!" Emma replies and launches herself at Regina like she originally planned.
Regina catches her and returns the hug while laughing. She squeezes Emma as tightly as she can and buries her face in Emma's neck. Neither want to let go, however a throat clearing behind them has them separating a little. "You two can stay out there hugging all night if you want to, but I have been sent to let you know that dinner is ready." David said smiling before he headed back inside.
Emma smiled at Regina as grabbed her hand, "Come on, I'm starving!"
"You are always hungry!" Regina chuckled and closed the door behind them. When they reached the kitchen, Regina lets go of Emma's hand so she can greet her parents and Emma's parents.
Dinner goes smoothly as always, with Regina telling tales of all the things she got up to while she was away. Emma listened and asked questions while starting at Regina, she knew she wasn't being subtle, but she figured as she hadn't seen her in three months, she could get away with it.
Just as they were finishing up dessert Cora referred to the conversation they had been having before Regina arrived. "So, Emma, tell me, have they made any comments or announcements at school regarding the geometry teacher place being filled?"
"No, but they don't tell us anything. We will know when someone new starts, but I don't think they will tell us before that. I hope it happens soon though; I can't sit through anymore classes like today."
Cora nodded quietly with a smile on her face. She looked at Regina and raised her eyebrow, prompting Regina to share her news with everyone.
Regina cleared her throat, "I guess I better share my news then before you get to school tomorrow. Say hello to Storybrooke High Schools new, permanent Geometry teacher!"
David and Mary Margaret jumped up instantly to congratulate Regina while Henry and Cora looked on with pride. Emma however was still sitting in shock when everyone returned to their seats. Regina gave her a curious look but before she could say anything she was bombarded with questions from Mary Margaret.
"How did this happen Regina? When was the interview? Who interviewed you? Have you seen your classroom yet? When do you start? Do you know what years you will be covering? Are you excited?"
"One at a time Mary! She can't answer everything at once!" David chuckles putting his arm around Mary Margaret. "Sorry Regina, I'm just so excited for you! Start at the beginning and tell me everything!"
Emma sat quietly and listened while Regina told Mary Margaret all about her new job.
Regina is going to be a teacher at my school…
Maybe she won't be teaching my class…
"…and I got my class list the other day, so I will be taking Emma's class this year as well as some others…"
Or maybe she will! Oh god! How am I going to listen and pay attention when I have to look at her! This is a nightmare! She is too pretty to learn from!
Ok, don't freak out. You can do this. Regina used to tutor you and you were fine. This will be good. You will learn loads from her, and it will be much better than it is now! Don't panic! I only have one year left in high school then I'll be off to college anyway. This will be easy. I can do this.
Emma's inner monologue is stopped when she glances up and realises, she is being watched. Mary Margaret is staring at her expectantly. When Emma looks confused her mom re-askes her question.
"Are you excited Emma? You will get to see Regina more often now! Don't go easy on her though Regina!" Everybody chuckles.
"Of course I'm excited" replies Emma with a slight hesitation, "Congratulations Regina. May I be excused?"
Mary Margaret gives a confused nod and Emma leave the table to head for her bedroom. Emma flops on her bed and stares at the ceiling.
That was a pretty shit way to treat Regina. I should be thinking about her, not me. She has just qualified and been offered a fantastic new job! I'm such an idiot!
Emma stands to make her way back downstairs just as there is a knock on her bedroom door. Without waiting for an answer Regina enters, staring at Emma with a frown.
"Do you want to talk about why you look so put out by my new job?"
Emma sighs, "I'm sorry Regina, I was just coming down to apologise. I really am excited for you; I was being selfish and thinking about how it is going to affect me. I wasn't thinking about how hard you have worked and how incredible it is that you have been offered such a fantastic job. I'm really sorry."
Regina walks past Emma and sits on the edge of her bed deep in thought. Emma moves to sit next to her.
"Are you sure you are ok with this Emma? I can speak to the principle and ask to change your class for another? I thought you would like the fact that you would see me more often. I didn't think it would bother you."
"Please don't change anything. I was just in shock. Having you as my teacher will be great. I used to love when you tutored me a few years ago, you know how to get me to listen!"
They both laughed at this and leaned in to hug one another.
"I've missed you." Said Regina into Emma's hair.
"I've missed you too. Please don't go away for that long again!"
"I don't plan to. Don't worry, you are stuck with me forever remember, friends to the end!"
Emma smiled and pulled back. "Come on, let's go back downstairs and give my mom a chance to ask you a million more questions!"
Laughing they walked down the stairs hand in hand.
Emma woke up earlier than normal the next morning. She was nervous. Not for herself but for Regina. The first thing she did after her shower was text her.
Good morning. I just wanted to wish you good luck today, I hope it all goes smoothly! I will see you in class this afternoon Miss Mills ;) x
Emma finished doing her hair and getting dressed before she looked at her phone again. Seeing a response from Regina she smiled.
Thank you! I'm both excited and nervous! I feel like I am prepared so I'm hoping it goes well. I will see you this afternoon. You better behave in my class Miss Swan! :) xx
Emma headed downstairs for breakfast when her phone pinged twice again.
Do you need a lift to school? xx
Or is that not cool now I'm a teacher?
Emma always walked to school with Ruby, unless the weather was miserable. She replied to Regina telling her this and asked if she could get a lift home instead, that way she could hear all about her first day.
The day dragged for Emma. She was eagerly anticipating her first lesson with Regina as her teacher. She hadn't told Ruby the news yet as she wanted to see the look on her face when they walked into the classroom.
"I have never seen you so eager to get to class Emma, what is going on?" Ruby asked as she trailed after Emma down the corridor.
"You will see in a minute!"
When they entered the classroom, it was empty. Taking their usual seats near the middle of the room Ruby continued to look at Emma like she was crazy.
"Are you feeling ok Emma? Why are you so excited about Geometry?"
Emma doesn't respond. She can hear heels approaching in the corridor. Ruby huffs and sits down in the seat next to her and pulls out her phone while Emma continues to start at the door. In walks Regina with her head down reading something in the notebook she is holding. Emma's breath catches. Regina is wearing a tight black pencil skirt, high heels and a red silk shirt. She hasn't noticed Emma and Ruby yet and as she sits at her desk Emma notices that she is wearing her glasses.
Emma is completely distracted by Regina's appearance. Ruby notices this and looks up from her phone to see the teacher that has walked in. She punches Emma on the arm to get her attention. "Why is Regina here? Is this what you were so excited about?" She whispers to Emma as more of their class start to come into the room.
Emma nods "Yeah, I found out last night. Regina is out new Geometry teacher. She got offered the permanent teaching job that was available."
"Oh my god! This is so cool!" Ruby exclaims. She then looks back to Emma, "Are you going to be cool with this?"
Ruby is the only person who knows that Emma has a crush on Regina. Emma had confided in her just before Regina went travelling. Ruby had been great about it and had helped to distract Emma while Regina was gone. She had also told Emma that if she really liked Regina, she should tell her. Their friendship is strong enough that it can handle it.
"I'll be fine Ruby. Although if she keeps wearing stuff like this, I don't think I'll be able to concentrate!"
Ruby laughed and nudged Emma, "You won't be the only one!" Emma looked around the room and sure enough, all eyes were on Regina.
Regina had moved to stand in front of the board, she was currently writing the aims for the day. This meant that her back was turned and all Emma could look at was how her skirt clung to the curves of her ass. She wasn't the only one. One of the boys at the front of her class was leaning so far to see around the desk that he nearly fell off his chair.
Emma huffed and sat back, "They shouldn't be looking at her like that!" she said to Ruby. "Says the girl who was drooling the minute she walked in the classroom!" Emma rolled her eyes and looked to the front of the classroom again.
Regina had turned around; she caught Emma's eye and gave her a small smile before focusing on the entire class.
"Good afternoon everyone, my name is Miss Mills and I will be your new geometry teacher for the rest of the year. The sub you had before me has left notes of what you have covered but I have prepared a short pop quiz to see how much you know."
At the collective groan that came from the students Regina chuckled. "I know, I know. Its only my first class and I am already testing you. However, this will benefit us all. I like to be involved and engaged with my students. I like to know how you are doing and help you progress in this class. Don't be afraid to ask questions, I will stop and help wherever I can. If you need something to be explained again then that is fine. I want you to pass my class as much as you do!"
The class seemed to relax at that. Regina handed out the quiz and set them some time to complete it. While the class were engaged Regina walked around and stopped whenever needed to provide encouragement or guidance to the students. By the end of the period the class were delighted with their progress and much happier with Regina's teaching methods than her predecessor.
As Emma was packing up to head to her final period of the day, she heard Regina call her name. Approaching the teacher's desk, closely followed by Ruby, she smiled at Regina.
"So how did I do? Do you think you can stand me being your teacher?" Regina asked, a slight nervousness to her voice.
"You were great! I'm looking forward to learning more from you Miss Mills." Emma teased. "You really were great Regina; I feel like I have learned more today than I did the whole time the sub was here!" said Ruby.
"Thank you. You two better get going or you will be late for your next class. Do you still want a lift home Emma?"
"Yeah, if that's ok?" "Of course it is. Just come back here when you are finished, and we will head shortly after."
Emma and Ruby head to their next class leaving Regina to grade their classes quizzes.
As the months pass Regina quickly becomes one of the favourite teachers in the school. It has also become common knowledge in the school that Emma and Miss Mills grew up together and are really good friends. However, within the school grounds they are always very professional and have a perfect student teacher relationship.
Emma loves going to geometry, but she has trouble concentrating most of the time. Regina loves to wear curve hugging clothes and Emma can't help but get distracted, especially if she is leaning down at one of the desks around her helping someone.
Emma doesn't like to ask for help in class. She tries to keep her head down and concentrate on the work they have been given. If she does have a question, she asks Regina when they are on the way home. Or she texts her later in the evening.
Regina has noticed this but not said anything. She knows that Emma likes to work on her own and she remembers from when she tutored her that she will try and figure things out alone before seeking help. However, Regina has also noticed the staring, the lingering looks and how distracted Emma has been when she has been teaching. She hasn't commented on this either, but she has noticed it happening more and more outside the classroom as well.
Before anyone realises it, Ruby and Emma are approaching their last month of high school. Exams are approaching and the tension is high in the air. Regina has been setting her classes up with past exam papers for the last few lessons, and mock exams at the end of every week to make sure they are ready.
During one Friday afternoon lesson Emma is struggling. Regina looks exceptionally beautiful today in her tight red dress but that is, surprisingly, not the problem. The wording of the question Emma is trying to complete has thrown her.
Regina notices from the front of the room that Emma has been almost frozen for the last ten minutes. She slowly begins making her way towards her. Regina knows Emma will never ask for help, so she subtly approaches to see what the problem is.
From the next desk, Regina can see what question Emma is having an issue with. She has already been talking to some other students about this, so she isn't surprised.
"The wording in this question can get confusing." Regina says as she leans down next to Emma. Emma jumps slightly having not realised Regina was there.
"Eh...Its ok Miss Mills, I just need to read it again and I'm sure I'll get it."
"How about we go through it together then?" Regina suggests.
Regina pulls over a spare chair and starts reading the question to Emma. This is the closest they have been at school and Emma zones out completely.
She smells amazing. Look at the way her hair is falling in front of her face. She looks beautiful with those glasses on. How did she find a lipstick that matches her dress so perfectly? She's so pretty. I love having her this close. I wonder if she would like it if I kiss her. Her lips are so inviting. Maybe I should just go for it. What's the worst that could happen? She's my best friend. I can do this. I'm doing this.
Emma leaned forward and kissed Regina hard on the lips. Everything around her disappeared. Regina jumped but didn't pull away. Emma was in the seventh heaven! I did it! Only when she heard Ruby scream behind her did she realise where she was and pulled away.
The whole class was staring at the scene that was unfolding in front of them. Emma froze and held her breath, she didn't know what to do. I can't believe I did THAT! HERE! She stared at Regina waiting to see what happened. Regina's face was flushed and the blush on her cheeks was slowly getting redder. She cleared her throat then smiled at Emma before laughing.
"Alright class, back to work!"
Everyone took a minute to look then slowly turned back to their work. Ruby was the last to turn around after trying desperately to get Emma's attention. Emma however was still frozen in shock by what she just did. Regina, ever the professional, smiled at Emma again before turning back to the question they were going over and asking Emma how she thought she should start.
When Emma's brain finally started working again, she looked at her work and answered Regina. She couldn't believe she had kissed her, and that Regina was just pretending nothing had happened. Emma knew she would need to talk to her about it after class but for now she tried to act as normally as she could and finish her lesson. The lesson finished 10 minutes later. Regina suggested that everyone should keep practicing the questions with the tricky wording as one of them is likely to be in their final exam.
Emma had one more class to go to, but she was worried about what had happened with Regina. Everyone was lingering to see if Miss Mills was going to say anything. "Alright everyone, I know we have had some excitement in class, but I will not be responsible for you all being late! Now go!"
With that the class started leaving, Emma and Ruby bringing up the rear, as they passed her desk Regina smiled up at Emma. "Would you still like a lift home later? I'll meet you hear when the bell rings like we normally do?" All Emma could do was nod. "She will be here Miss Mills, don't worry" commented Ruby with a smile before she grabbed Emma's hand and pulled her along to their next class.
As soon as they were far enough along the corridor Ruby turned to Emma with a huge grin on her face. "I can't believe you finally had the courage to kiss Regina and you chose to do it there! In a classroom full of people! What was going through that pretty blonde head of yours?"
Emma pause for a minute thinking, "I have no idea Ruby! It's like I was in a trance. One minute she was explaining the question to me and the next I couldn't stop staring at her lips and I just went for it!" Emma put her head in her hands, "I can't believe the whole class was there. What is going to happen? Do you think she will get into trouble?"
Ruby started walking again, guiding Emma to their next class. "Don't worry about that Em. Nobody in our class will say anything and even if they do, we are out of here in a month. Everything will be fine. Regina will handle it."
"Oh God, I have to ride home with her. I don't know if I can look at her or talk to her. Ruby! What do I do?"
"You will be fine Emma; she is still the same Regina she has always been. Just talk to her like you always do, tell her why you did it and how you feel. She might surprise you. I mean, she didn't exactly push you away now did she?"
"That true. Ok, I can do this. I just need to talk to her, I tell her everything, it's about time I told her how I feel."
The final period of the day felt like it lasted for hours. Emma went back and forth about how to handle the fact she had kissed Regina (in front of everyone) and what she wanted to do next. By the time the class finished Emma had convinced herself that Regina was going to hate her, and because of this she had a death grip on Ruby's hand that she would not release.
"Come on Em, you have to let me go! I have to go to work at the diner and I can't do that with you attached to me!"
"Its fine, Regina will give you a lift and then I will say I want a milkshake and come in with you. Then I don't need to be alone in the car with her."
"Emma, stop being so stupid! Tell her how you feel. I promise it won't go wrong. But if, for some reason, it does, I will be there with ice cream and cheesy rom coms to make you feel better. Deal?"
Emma looked at Ruby and nodded. "Deal. I've got this." Ruby leaned in and kissed Emma on the cheek. "Good, I'll see you tomorrow." With that Ruby smiled and headed out the front door of the school leaving Emma standing on her own.
Emma took a deep breath and walk to Regina's classroom. She tentatively knocked the door before poking her head in. Regina had her back to her finishing as she finished putting some paperwork in her bag. She turned when she heard Emma shuffling in and smiled.
"I was wondering where you had gotten to. Come on, let's get out of here." Regina grabbed her bag and walked towards Emma, taking her hand, as she always does, and heading for the car park. Emma walked in silence beside her, suddenly wondering if she had imagined the whole thing.
Regina chatted about the rest of the day on the way home like it was completely normal, while Emma provided one or two word answers where she could. When they pulled up outside the Mills house Regina stopped and looked over at Emma. "Do you want to come in for a bit? My parents are going to dinner tonight, so we have the place to ourselves to talk."
Finally, Emma managed to string a short sentence together. "Yeah, that sounds good." They got out the car and headed up the steps. Once inside Emma relaxed. She always felt as safe in this house as she did in her own. This was all going to be fine. Regina disappeared into the kitchen to get them a drink while Emma got comfortable on the couch.
Regina came back, kicked her heels off and tucked her feet under her on the couch while passing Emma her drink. "So, do you want to talk about what happened today or are you going to be speaking in very short sentences for the rest of your life while avoiding looking at me?"
Emma looked up to see Regina smirking at her. And just like that her nerves where gone, her worry faded, and she realised that Ruby had been right. Regina was still Regina, regardless of what was about to be said she was still her friend. I can do this.
"I like you." Emma blurted out. She felt the blood rush to her face as she blushed. Regina chuckled, "I like you too Emma." "No." Emma started again. "I like you, like you. I have for a while now and I didn't know if I should tell you because I love how things are between us! But then today, you just looked and smelled so good and you were so close that I couldn't stop myself and I just had to kiss you. Sorry."
"Emma never be sorry for telling me how you feel. Or for kissing me. I like you too. I never imagined you could like me because I am older than you. I always thought you and Ruby would get together." Emma laughed at that.
"So, we are ok?" Emma asked shyly.
"More than ok." Replied Regina. "Although, I think we should agree that kissing me in a full class of students should never happen again! And maybe it would be wise to hold off until you finish your exams before we talk more about how we feel. I don't want to distract you when you need to be focused."
Emma smiled at this; she was a little disappointed but glad that Regina hadn't completely shot her down. "I can do that. Although, I do have one request?"
"Anything Emma."
"Can I kiss you once more before you lock your lips away for a month?" Emma asked with a smirk on her face.
Regina didn't answer, she took Emma's drink from her and put it on the coffee table beside hers then slid closer to her on the couch. She gently cupped Emma's cheek and brought her head forward kissing her softly on the lips. Emma hesitated momentarily before reaching out and putting her hands on Regina's waist to keep her from backing away. She leaned forward further and deepened the kiss, slowly running her tongue over Regina's bottom lip to gain entrance to her mouth. They kissed for what felt like forever in Emma's head. When they pulled back, they rested their foreheads against one another and tried to regulate their breathing.
When Regina finally got her breath back, she looked deeply into Emma's eyes. "One more month, then we can discuss this further. Do you think you can manage that?"
"Absolutely." Emma replied with a smile. One month then she would have the girl. Emma didn't think she would stop smiling during that time.
What a mad day!