A/N: I probably should have been spending this time on getting the next chapter of Take a Walk out but what can I say, this one just grabbed hold of me and wouldn't let go. Set in Storybrooke somewhere after Red Handed I guess. So yeah, if you haven't seen Red Handed there be spoilers ahead. Saying that though, if you haven't seen Red Handed then stop what you're doing and go watch it. Ok, you've seen it? Then continue my friend and enjoy ^_^
"What?!" Emma chokes out incredulously, trying not to spill her coffee. "Regina and Ruby? Did you just make that up?" She adds, staring wide eyed at Mary Margaret in disbelief.
"No! Of course not. Why would I make something like that up?" Mary Margaret replies frowning. "And keep your voice down!" She hisses, daring a glance over Emma's shoulder at Regina and Ruby across the diner.
Emma just shrugs in reply, before taking another sip of coffee, safe in the knowledge she won't near choke to death again from one of Mary Margaret's revelations.
"I don't know. You work with ten year olds all day, you must have to do something to stop your brain turning to mush." Emma says, grinning.
Mary Margaret narrows her eyes at that. "For your information I happen to like working with ten year olds. And besides, she told me herself." She says, almost triumphantly, raising her eyebrows at Emma.
"Ruby told you that?" Emma says, sounding a lot more sceptical than Mary Margaret appreciates.
"No, Regina told me." Mary Margaret replies in a dead pan tone, pulling a face at Emma.
"Alright, alright." Emma laughs, raising her hands in defence. "I'm just saying, of all the people in this town," Emma says, gesturing her head behind her. "Those would be the last two I'd suspect of having an affair."
Mary Margaret tenses at that, quickly turning her gaze down to the cup of hot chocolate in her hands. "Is that including me and David?" She asks quietly.
Emma sighs heavily at realising what she's said. "Mary Margaret, I didn't mean-"
"I know," She interjects, finally raising her eyes to meet the frowning blonde's in front of her. "And besides, it's not really an affair. Ruby and Regina, I mean." She adds quickly, when she sees the slightly confused look on Emma's face. "I mean, they're both free agents, so…" She trails off as Emma seems to have suddenly become very interested in the coffee cup in her hand. "Are you ok with that?" Mary Margaret asks quietly, as her hand reaches out to Emma's.
Mary Margaret doesn't know if it's her words or her squeeze of her hand but Emma looks up suddenly, features knotted in confusion.
"Me? Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?" She replies, sounding a little more defensively than she'd hoped.
"I don't know. I just always thought there was a little…something between you two." Mary Margaret says, trying to keep her tone nonchalant.
"Me and Regina?" Emma scoffs. "If by something you mean Henry then-"
Mary Margaret smiles knowingly at that before cutting in. "I wasn't talking about Regina." She states simply, a small grin forming on her lips. "But I think we both knew that." She adds, raising her eyebrows at Emma.
Emma sighs heavily, idly tracing figure eights in her coffee with her stirrer before finally looking up at Mary Margaret.
"Is it that obvious?" She mumbles, looking up through headed lidded eyes.
Mary Margaret sighs gently, tilting her head to the side as a sad smile etches across her features. "Only to other fools in love. The way I've seen you look at Ruby, it reminds me of how David looks at me."
Emma rolls her eyes at that but smiles anyway, despite herself.
"You should say something to her, you know." Mary Margaret says gently, despite the small frown on her face.
"Why? If she really is with Regina then who am I to mess with that?" Emma replies despondently. "I'm sorry, I didn't-" She starts to add as she notices Mary Margaret's gaze awkwardly flick down to the hot chocolate in her hand.
"No, no. You're right, if they're together then…we just have to respect that." Mary Margaret sighs, chancing another look at Ruby as she stands at the Mayor's table, deep in conversation.
"Exactly," Emma replies, forcing herself not to turn round to look at the couple in question. "Whatever the hell that may be."
Mary Margaret can't help but laugh at that. "You sure you're going to be ok? I feel awful now for telling you."
Emma just shrugs and purses her lips. "I guess I was probably going to find out eventually." She sighs, trying not to sound too pathetic but failing miserably.
"Look I have a stack of papers to mark for Monday but if you want to talk about this then…" Mary Margaret starts to say before Emma waves her off.
"No, no. You just do what you have to do. I'll be fine. I promise." She adds, when Mary Margaret gives her a 'You're not fooling me' look.
"If you're sure." Mary Margaret says hesitantly, still sounding unconvinced.
"Yes. I'm sure." Emma laughs. "Now go on, those papers aren't going to mark themselves."
"No, they're not." Mary Margaret huffs, smiling. "I'll see you at home then?" She adds, getting up from her seat.
"Yeah, I'll catch you later." Emma says, watching Mary Margaret as she puts on her coat.
After Mary Margaret leaves, Emma decides to move from their table in the centre of the diner to one of the booth's towards the back. She tells herself it's so she can be out of the way of the other diners who are left, Leroy and Sidney, who, although at different tables seem to have the same idea in mind, drinking themselves to oblivion, but she knows she would be lying to herself if she didn't admit it also had a little something to do with getting a better look at a certain brunette.
Emma, hard as she may try, can't help but find herself staring at the pair over by the window, deep in conversation. Well, she thinks to herself despondently, I definitely didn't see that coming. She begins to idly flick through a newspaper left by a previous diner before she risks another glance over to Regina's table, as her attention is caught by Regina leaving her seat. She doesn't appear to say anything to Ruby before leaves the diner. After Regina leaves, Ruby rises slowly from her own seat before returning to the counter to clean away some empty glasses, one notably larger one of Leroy's as he also deems it time for himself to leave.
Emma returns her focus to the paper for a few moments before she's distracted again, this time by the scraping of a chair against the diner floor. When she looks up, Sidney nods slowly before making his own way to the door. Emma's gaze follows him as he leaves and she can't help put shake her head when she sees him stumble off down the street. At that Emma suddenly glances up at the diners clock, realising she's the last one left in the diner. Quarter past nine on a Saturday night, another wild night for Sheriff Swan. Emma sighs as her gaze slowly drifts down from the clock to the counter as she realises Ruby is nowhere to be seen. Figuring she's in the back cleaning up, Emma decides it's probably best she headed home herself. She rises from her seat and heads to use the toilets before she leaves the diner. Emma nudges the restroom door open with her shoulder before being met by a high pitched yelp.
"Sweet Jesus, Ruby!" Emma breathes out, sighing heavily, resting back on the door.
Ruby swings around, away from the mirror and rests against the sink, placing her hands on the counter behind her.
"Sorry," Ruby says, looking up at Emma with red eyes, a small sheepish smile tugging at her lips. "I'd totally forgotten anyone was still in here." She adds, her smiling faltering slightly.
"Yeah, I guess I just lost track of time too." Emma explains, frowning at the mascara smudged on Ruby's cheeks. "This may be a stupid question but, are you ok?"
Ruby's frown instantly melts away at that, replaced by a brilliant smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes. "I'm fine. I'm great." Ruby replies unconvincingly.
Emma doesn't have any of it, narrowing her eyes at the waitress. "Really? Cause that's an odd looking great you're going for there."
Ruby looks up at Emma again through thick lashes. "Busted. I should have remembered you're basically a human lie detector." She says, with a small hollow laugh.
Emma can't help but smile at that before continuing. "Is it Regina?" Emma asks quietly, not daring to meet the brunette's gaze.
The look of confusion is evident on her face as she watches Emma slip her hands into her pockets.
"What makes you say that?" Ruby says slowly.
Emma all but squirms under Ruby's gaze, mentally kicking herself for bringing it up. "I don't know." She replies, with a small shrug, finally meeting Ruby's eyes. "I guess I just saw you guy's together before and, you know, put two and two together and got –"
"– four." Ruby cuts quietly, now her turn to look away.
"Oh." Is all Emma can think to say.
Ruby sighs heavily, lifting herself up onto the counter behind her. "It's silly. I knew exactly what I was getting myself into with Regina when it started, I knew it would never be more than a, strings attached kind of thing but, I guess I always thought it'd change. It didn't." Ruby shakes her head lightly. "I just feel stupid for thinking anything else was going to come of all this."
"You shouldn't be with her." Emma states suddenly, her voice low. "I mean, if she makes you feel like that then…" She trails off, her breath hitching slightly. "You should be with someone who cares about you. Someone who appreciates you, really appreciates you."
Ruby looks up at that, her frown replaced with a warm, genuine smile. "That's very sweet of you but, despite what I might say, Regina's probably the best thing that's actually happened to me."
Emma's frown deepens at that. "Sounds like you must have had some real frogs if that's true." Emma scoffs.
A laugh erupts from Ruby lips and Emma can't help but smile. "Oh, I've had my fair share of frogs alright, trust me. I guess I'll just have to wait a bit longer for my Prince Charming. Well, Princess Charming." Ruby sighs, still smiling.
Emma frowns at that. "How?" Emma asks, her voice heavy with disbelief. "I mean, I hope you don't think I'm being too forward but, you are so…beautiful." Emma says, instantly mentally kicking herself for sounding so clichéd.
Ruby smiles wanly at that. "So people tell me." She shrugs, sighing heavily. "It kind of gets a bit, tiring when that's all people see. Pretty face, not much else."
"Well then those people are stupid." Emma cuts in, her tone a little more fierce than she'd hoped. "You're so much more than that Ruby, even more than I think you realise. Just look at when you worked at the sheriff station. You probably did more for that Nolan case in one day than I did in a whole week."
Ruby laughs softly at that, looking up at Emma through heavy lidded eyes, gleaming with unshed tears.
"I mean it, you know." Emma presses on when Ruby doesn't say anything. "You're kind, you're smart, you're determined. You get what you want but you don't stand on others to get it, because unlike most people, you care. You're great with people and you're funny, even if you don't think you are." She adds quickly, laughing, when Ruby begins to shake her head. "Anyone who thinks you're just a pretty face and not much else, they're wrong Ruby. They're so wrong."
A comfortable silence falls over them for a few moments before Emma finally plucks up the courage to carry on.
"I meant what I said before as well, about Regina. You deserve to be with someone who makes you feel loved." She swallows heavily, shifting her feet awkwardly, before proceeding. "Someone, who makes you feel special, who doesn't take you for granted." Emma feels herself shorten the gap between her and Ruby without even thinking. "Someone who makes you feel appreciated and loves you, like you deserve." Ruby shifts forward, ever so slowly, on the counter as she anticipates Emma's next movement. "Someone who makes you feel–"
The closeness too much to bear, Emma finally gives in, surging forward to kiss her. She places her hands tentatively on her waist and Emma almost sighs in relief as Ruby's hands reach up to cup her face in response. Emma feels Ruby lick at her bottom lip, begging entrance which she obliges immediately. Emma tries to hold back a small groan as the sensation of Ruby deepening their kiss leaves her breathless. She pulls back gently, regretting it immediately.
"What about Regina?" Emma breaths, voice heavy with need.
Ruby shakes her head. "Regina and me, it's, it's nothing. They'll be no love lost. If I'm honest, I'm not even sure she even likes me all that much." She sighs, with a small hollow laugh.
Emma smiles wanly at that. "Well, I like you. A lot, as it happens." Emma says, unable to hold back the crooked grin forming on her lips.
"Really?" Ruby asks shyly, looking down at her through thick, dark lashes, colouring slightly.
"Really." Emma replies, grinning and nodding, before reaching up to recapture Ruby's lips.