A/N: This is different to my usual style of writing. I've been trying to experiment to develop as a writer (not to mention it's super fun to play around with styles). This story has been very much inspired by Coalitiongirl's masterpiece So Does This Make Us Both The Other Woman? I adore the tone of that story and wanted to try and recreate a little of that in this. Who knows how long I will keep this up? Feedback is always helpful – please take the time to do so (big hugs). I'm just trying to find that writers flow again (and what better way to do that than fashion another beautiful love story between my two favourite ladies).
Neither of them is sure how it happened- but it did- because somehow somewhere along the line they became friends. One month after the return from the underworld: the evil queen and the saviour seated at Granny's, awkwardly attempting to make conversation (because that's what friends do).
"So… how's Hook?" She has stopped calling him the pirate for a while now. It seemed to both relax and unnerve Emma simultaneously.
"Hook's fine."
Regina sighs, watching the way Emma's mouth twitches and the dull ache in her forehead that has creased her brow ever since she saved the brunette from becoming the dark one. It's Emma, for sure. Blonde hair, green eyes but the glow has gone- the fire. Regina bites her lip and waits for Emma to breathe or smile or say something.
"How's Robin?"
And Regina sighs. "I assume he's doing okay. When I do see him he looks… less drained."
Emma blinks and captures Regina in a stare that forces the brunette to look away. She swallows and nurses her coffee.
"And how are you," Emma asks softly, lowering her voice and leaning in. Regina can taste Emma's hot coco through the air between them. She inhales. No one has asked her how she is since the underworld. The return quite literally flipped her life over, the happiness she fought so hard to secure disappeared and she was alone once again. It wasn't shocking. They were growing apart; soul mates just didn't quite fit either of them. They tried. But there was no sparkle, no true happiness. He made her feel loved but not in love. And it was a slow torture for both of them.
"I guess I'm relieved," she smiles softly, and notices the way Emma's eyes inflate slightly when she does. "And I guess I'm back to square one."
The blonde touches Regina's hand, squeezing her fingers gently. Regina stills, hearing the pulse of her finger tips under Emma's touch, becoming the pulse. They are both looking down at it, too stupefied to move.
Emma speaks first, "You don't need to search for your happy ending, Regina. It's right here. Everything you love and cherish is in this town- don't forget that."
And it makes her angry. She snatches her hand away and it stings from the absence. She's glaring at Emma, working her jaw feeling so much yet unable to fabricate the correct emotion. Instead she slides in to her safety net- anger.
"Well it's alright for the Saviour, isn't it?" Regina sneers, "You've got a happy ending, your stupid pirate, a family, a son."
Emma hardens and a green flame begins to burn through her retina. Regina watches it flicker, the life returning to a glassy orb. "Don't talk about him like that," Emma snaps.
And Regina wants more fire, a bigger flame. "I can talk about him how I like. What I said in hell was true; you're too good for him."
Emma laughs. Icily. It's liberating to hear and Regina's breathing quickens. "And what makes me better than him?"
"Everything."
Her reply is instinctive and Emma's eyes widen and Regina's said too much and Emma looks confused and she can't, she can't.
"What do you mean everything?" Emma's genuinely asking. She genuinely cannot see what she is, the entirety that is Emma Swan. She honestly thinks that some egocentric, one-handed pirate is worthy of her. And Regina is being selfish. Emma's not ready for the truth.
"You've changed, Emma! You used to be so full of life and hope. You were so determined, determined to beat me and any other evil that threatened your family. Look at you now," she lowers her voice, her words like knives and she means every single cut, "You're empty. You're everything that you never wanted to be. "
Emma is silent, unblinking, so Regina continues.
"You're hopeless, you're weak. You follow some man in to hell and bring your whole family to save him. You think you're in love with a man that never even bothered to get to know you before deeming you as suitable. He pursued you and you gave in because it was easy. Because that love was easy."
"Says the woman that trusted pixie dust!" Emma finds her voice, seething. Her eyes are explosive. It's like watching a firework display, ripping across the serenity; a powerful imminence shadowing the two women for quite some time.
"And where did that get me!? Alone. I accepted that Robin wasn't it for me. I had settled, you're settling."
The blonde stands up, slamming her mug down and grabbing her jacket; "You're ridiculous," she growls and storms out of the diner.
…
Regina and Henry play chess for hours on end. She always wins. They chew on their dinner whilst watching TV (something Regina never does), before shuffling upstairs in to separate bedrooms to read. 10 minutes in to the latest Anne Tyler and the brunette sighs. Emma has been playing at the back of her mind all evening. Regina had lashed out, wanting to dent the bubble the blonde has fashioned: her perfect, perfect bubble. Truthfully, she misses the excitement that Emma used to bring to her life. The 'Miss Swan's' and 'No he's not he's mine', the 'our magic' and the 'my job's not done unless I do that for everyone, including you'.
Okay, Emma. You win.
"Henry, I'm going out for a little bit. Call me if you need anything."
And she gets in her car and drives to the Charming's. It's dark as she crosses the road and walks up the stairs to the loft. There's a low hum of a radio that follows her along the corridor and Regina finds herself smiling once she recognises the song. It's Emma's favourite 'I hate my life, I feel sorry for myself song' and the brunette remembers listening to it day in day out at the Sheriff station.
She sighs and knocks thrice on the door, expecting Snow or Charming but instead getting a very dishevelled looking Emma.
"Regina what are you-"
"Hi."
There's a smirk twisting on Regina's lips as she says it and Emma catches it, rolling her eyes with a light chuckle. And there's a lot of Emma in it as she does.
"You're missing the red jacket," the blonde says simply.
Regina ignores the warm feeling spreading through her chest at this, "Quite right, it's repulsive."
Emma laughs out loud and it's beautiful. A sound that feels so alien yet familiar and Regina is laughing too, drowning in Emma's sound because she'd forgotten how alive she felt when she heard it.
"No seriously, what are you doing here?"
"I've come to apologise."
Emma raises her eyebrows, "Really?"
"Yes. I'm sorry," she lowers her voice and finds green, "I really am. Saying those things to you… I was out of line. I guess I just miss…"
The blonde smirks, "Miss what, Regina?"
"Don't make me say it, Swan."
Emma's laughing with her eyes, willing Regina to open up. "Go on."
"I miss…"
And there's a moment where they both just stop and suddenly they're nowhere and everywhere at the same time. Emma and Regina.
"You. I miss you."
Emma gasps and opens her mouth: a million words yet none at all to break the silence.
"I miss you too, love."
Hook slides his arm around Emma's waist but Regina's not watching him, she's watching the other woman's eyes… the sparkle dissipating, the emptiness consuming once again. Emma sighs and slides out of his grip, "Killian, I'm busy. I'm sorry, I won't be long."
The man laughs and wiggles his eyebrows (and it's so unattractive that Regina wants to gag), wrapping locks of blonde hair around his fingers. And Regina finds herself wondering what that would feel like- Emma's hair. She blinks, straightens and smiles sharply at the couple. "No, it's quite alright. I'll be off."
"Oh no, wait Regina-"
But the brunette just turns and nods at the woman, hurting as she turns down the stairs wondering why.
…
9:33 am. Regina has been sorting for the last hour (at least), the low hum of Beethoven guiding her hands over the papers. She sings softly to herself as she does, revelling in the calm and the freedom. Robin would usually leave flowers on her desk at this time, something quaint like a red rose which just reminded Regina of a time trapped in a marriage that was nothing like a fairy tale.
"Madame Mayor?"
She looks up sharply to see none other than Emma, fully kitted out in red leather jacket, boots and the golden glint of the Sheriff's badge. And she's grinning internally as she says her next words, "I don't remember ever agreeing to you taking back your job?"
Emma shrugs, "If it makes up for it… I bought you lunch." She smiles shyly as she places the salad on Regina's papers, drawing a chair up to the Mayoral desk.
"You were right, you know. I haven't felt like me in a long time. There's never been a chance to stop," she bites in to grilled cheese, lettuce leaves escaping her lips as she does and Regina shakes her head when she realises she has been watching.
"Agreed."
Emma pulls out a napkin to wipe her mouth (and misses a bit on a chin, not that Regina is taking notice). She pulls forward, running a hand through blonde locks as if to shake something out of it. "I also respect what you said about Killi- Hook. It's pretty clear you're not going to get along and that's okay."
The Mayor blinks. Her salad is still untouched.
"Regina?"
"Sorry, yes. Thank you."
Emma nods and takes another mouthful, her phone buzzing as she does and she stops mid second bite to unlock the screen. A small smile draws itself across her face.
"Who's that from?" Regina finds herself blurting out. She cringes but Emma doesn't seem to notice.
"Just Hook being his usual irritating self," the blonde laughs, barely noticing that Regina doesn't join in. She doesn't feel like laughing so instead dips in to her salad wondering why on earth she has the urge to send a text to make the other woman smile.
"So… it's Henry's birthday coming up." Emma breaks the silence easily.
"Fourteen," Regina sighs (grateful for something to take her mind off Emma and well Emma).
"We should do something. Like a party. We could plan it and surprise him?"
Regina raises a perfectly sculpted brow at the blonde. "And what exactly would our teenage son want in a surprise party?"
"I don't know maybe… paintballing?"
The brunette rolls her eyes, "Emma, do remember that this isn't your party but Henry's." She begins to sift through papers once again, pretending not to notice the (adorable) pout beginning to school Emma's features.
"Paintballing is fun," she grumbles and Regina has to physically place paper in front of her face to conceal the grin.
Because this- this is Emma.
"I suppose we could magic something up. Henry hasn't exactly had the easiest of lives; whatever we do should be fun."
"Fun?" Emma mock gasps, "Did I really just hear the word fun from the Mayor?"
And it's so beautifully domesticated; as if the last five years haven't happened yet have completely.
And then Emma receives another text and this time she laughs out loud. "Sorry Regina, party planning will have to wait- Hook is arm wrestling Henry and needs my help."
She lifts her phone up to the brunette's nose, a blurry picture of her son laughing illuminating the screen. If it hurts, she refuses to show it. Years of royalty taught her that and years of tyranny gave her the strength to do so. Emma gives her strength too- and Henry- but right now she needs the mask.
"Of course, go. Thanks for the lunch."
The blonde lights up, quite literally, and Regina freezes the feeling that whispers within her stomach. No.
"Thank you. Talk to you later, Regina."
And she disappears entirely unaware of the emptiness Regina feels when she does.
A/N: Reviews are encouraged : ) Thank you!