"You… you're what?" Snow asked, eyes wide as she stared at her daughter. She reached for David's hand and latched onto it, clinging to it like a life raft.
"I'm gay. I like women." Emma repeated, eyes observing her parents sitting across from her.
"But what about Killian?" David inquired, wincing at his wife's tight grip.
"I thought maybe I could convince myself that I liked men too. I saw how happy you guys were when I went on that date with him. I didn't… I didn't want to get the look."
"What look?" David asked, tilting his head. Snow's eyes had somehow gotten larger but the woman didn't say anything.
"The look you two are currently giving me," Emma sighed, looking down to stare at her hands.
The three sat in silence and Emma listened to the sound of the clock ticking in the living room. It had been four minutes since the last word had been said and the silence was killing her. She knew she shouldn't have come out. She knew she should've just stayed in the closet and kept sucking face with the dumb pirate.
"This is unacceptable," Snow finally said, standing from the table and grabbing the abandoned mug she'd been clinging to at the beginning of their talk. "This is beyond unacceptable Emma. You're a princess. You can't be gay. Princesses… Princesses aren't gay. " Snow had moved to clean the kitchen, her movements manic. "Our people are going to be outraged. The future queen can't be gay."
"Emma, what I think your mother is trying to say here is that… this is just… it's a shock to us. This kind of thing wasn't common back in our world. At least, not among royalty. We just… We need time to adjust."
"I think you should stop trying to speak for me David," Snow spit out. "You know this can't happen."
"Snow…"
"No, you know what? It's fine. I'm just… I'm going to go." Emma whispered, standing from the table and heading toward the door. "I… I'll see you guys later. Maybe."
As she closed the door behind her, the sounds of David and Snow arguing muffled by the closed door, she felt tears slipping down her cheeks and her vision blurred. She took the steps slowly and exited the apartment building, ignoring her car and walking to nowhere in particular.
She was practically sobbing by the time she realized what direction she was headed. She'd already pressed the doorbell before she could really ask herself why here of all places. When the door opened, she was already turning and stepping off the porch. Thinking of nothing but escaping with what little dignity she had left.
"Emma?" Regina called out to the retreating blonde figure.
Emma stopped, took a deep breath, and then turned to face her son's mother.
"Emma," Regina stepped off the porch, barefoot Emma noticed, and took a step toward her. "What happened?"
Seeing the concern in Regina's eyes, the tears started pouring once again down pale cheeks. "I… I told them." She wrapped her arms around herself, afraid she might fall apart. "I told them that I'm gay, Regina. I told them and they got that look that I got from all the foster parents who didn't want me. The… the disgusted look. Like I'm trash. It's un… unacceptable," She was gasping for breath now, not realizing how close Regina had gotten. "That's what my mom said. You can't be gay. Princesses aren't gay, she said. And my dad… he didn't… all he said was that they were shocked. That this isn't common in your world."
"Emma," Regina whispered. Emma felt soft hands cradle her face and then she was looking into wet brown eyes. Regina had a single tear running down her face. "Emma, I'm so sorry."
The blonde sniffled and found she couldn't look into Regina's eyes. Green shifted down, looking at Regina's neck. "They can't love me because I love women. They don't want me. I finally feel safe and they don't want me anymore because… because I'm gay."
And then the oddest thing happened. She was suddenly enveloped in Regina's arms, her head resting on the shorter woman's shoulder. Though they hadn't necessarily reached the hugging level of friendship, it wasn't weird. It was comforting. She felt safe.
She continued to cry as she felt Regina rub circles on her back, whispering that everything was going to be okay and that she could stay at the mansion if she'd like. When Regina turned her head and kissed Emma's neck, just a soft, sweet thing, Emma ignored the spark and reveled in the safety of Regina's embrace.