Sudoku players
When you're riding a sooo crowded train, that the only thing you can look is another passenger's Sudoku grid... and think… "That could make a good story!"
Here my try!
PS: this is my first story written from Regina's POV
"You forgot the last 9"
Regina looked up and glared at the other passenger who had purposely – Regina was positively convinced of it- disturbed her from her line of thoughts. But the said disturber had already stood up to get off at the next subway station. What struck Regina was the contrast between the other woman's beautiful blonde hair and the hideous red leather jacket combined with the atrocious knee high boots she was wearing.
"You can finish that line you know" the same irritating voice from the day before said out of the blue nearly making Regina jumped out of her skin.
She rolled her eyes, furious by her own lost of control for one part and more importantly irritated by that renewed perturbation. Obviously the blonde woman would sit next to her…
"If you're so keen on doing one, just bring yours!" Regina growled, not bothering hiding her exasperation.
The other woman's smug smile infuriated her even more and before Regina could say anything else the blonde left at the same stop.
"Well, you brought yours I see" Regina blurted out when she saw the other woman sat in front of her, a newspaper opened at an interesting page.
She mentally chided herself for her childish behavior. When their gaze met for the first time, Regina couldn't decipher the light that shone in the other woman's eyes which were objectively quite beautiful. Bluish green eyes just like the paradisiacal sea Regina ever dreamt to swim in. The other woman smirked at Regina and turned her attention back to the game.
She didn't say a word this time and stood up at her usual stop leaving a frustrated Regina in her trail.
"I finished!" She said with too much childish joy "before you!"
"Yours is easier than mine" Regina defended herself.
"Right" she said not convinced at all.
"We should do the same one, next time. I'll show you who the best is"
"Okay" she agreed though surprised by Regina's statement. And with a mischievous tone she added "I'll bring it then"
The next day, they had their own version of the same grid with the new purpose of finishing it first, but the owner of the red jacket wasn't even looking at hers.
"What are you doing?" Regina asked the woman who realized she was daydreaming.
"It's not funny…" she complained like a kid who was disappointed in his gift.
"Because I am going to win."
"Competitive are we?"
Regina huffed and continued her Sudoku, putting a strand of hair short dark hair behind her ear.
"What's your name?"
"Are you saving time to catch me up?" Regina scoffed without looking up from the grid but she could almost hear the eyes rolling from her neighbor.
"My name is Emma Swan" she said holding out her hand so Regina had to look up.
She looked at the pale skin hand before shaking it.
"Nice to meet you, Miss Swan"
Emma's hand froze and tightened her hold.
"Oh my god… You're from the other side!"
"Other side?" Regina recoiled not understanding what she was trying to say.
"You know THAT side!" Miss Swan leant towards Regina and whispered like it was a curse "The old side."
Regina swatted her with the book she used as a prop to write.
"I am not old" she chided Miss Swan.
"Right. Then call me Emma…"she suspended her sentence in the air, waiting for Regina to say her name.
"You can call me Winner today" she said waving her grid.
Emma scoffed at her, mostly looking amused.
"Okay, fine, see you tomorrow, Winner!" she said giving her own grid to Regina and left without ado at her stop.
Regina looked at the silhouette walking away. Emma turned around and waved at her. Her knowing smirk irritated Regina as she didn't know the reason why. When the train started up again, Regina looked down at the grids. At her own surprise and annoyance, Emma's one was full.
"So, are you an expert on Sudoku?" was the first thing Regina said when Emma sat down next to her, once Regina put her bag down – not that she reserved the seat next to her for her new companion.
"Hello to you too" Emma smirked "Did I surprise you, yesterday?"
"Not at all" Yes she did. Annoyingly so.
"Just say it. You were impressed by my rapidity" her new companion claimed with a so presumptuous tone Regina would usually find it irritating but she couldn't think of it as infuriating anymore. It was somehow a part of Emma's charm.
"I won't say it" the older woman persisted in her stubbornness.
Emma laughed a hearty laugh.
"Fine, you think it anyway" then she stated indifferently "I have a lot of time to waste."
"A police officer has a lot of time to waste?"
"So you're observant" Emma shrugged "let's say that I need to find an occupation between paperwork that's more discreet than doing basketball with waste, or drawings on administrative works"
Regina should have known better. Emma was a real kid.
"You know, I revealed a lot on me during these last few days and I still don't know your name…"
"You're not a really good cop then…" Regina pointed out and quickly looked up to check she hadn't hurt the other woman who didn't seem to care.
Emma propped her elbow up the seat backrest and leant towards Regina.
"I prefer to ask you directly than to search behind your back"
Regina averted her eyes. She licked her lips and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear; a hot wave was spreading from her chest to her ears and tickling her fingers.
"Well, maybe you did. And you don't say anything"
"Nah, you would caught me right away. I am not really good with that stuff…"
"Well," Regina seemed to ponder, feeling Emma's intent gaze on her "I'll tell you when I win for real" and she added as a precaution "And don't cheat"
Emma raised an eyebrow, a lopsided grin crooked on her lips.
"Okay, Mystery Woman"
"Are you stuck?"
"No" Regina said with too much vehemence.
"Let me look at it" she offered so kindly that even Regina's stubborn side couldn't say no.
Regina gave her the grid and looked at Emma who was filling in some slots. She seemed really focused for once. The younger woman looked up and gave the grid back, smiling sadly.
"My stop already. Well, see you tomorrow" she waved goodbye at Regina and left.
Regina's gaze didn't leave the silhouette until she disappeared thinking how time was now flying by since Emma was keeping her good company and how she already missed her. Her eyes never left the windows as the subway started up again and Regina's attention didn't turn back to the grid, her mind trapped between astonishment, sadness and loneliness.
For the first time ever, Emma was getting stuck by a Sudoku grid. Her face was so serious not as she usually was when she -mostly- behaved like a kid. Her long eyelashes outlined her beautiful green eyes. Or blue. Who cared? They were just mesmerizing. Some strands of long curly hair were hiding her face and Regina fought the urge to tuck them behind Emma's ear. Her eyes fell on those pink lips that were always wearing a smile, often presumptuous or mischievous... An alien knot formed in Regina's stomach.
She blinked realizing she was looking unabashedly at Emma. What was happening to her? The older woman looked around and inhaled sharply. She leant on the backrest and looked down at the grid between Emma's hands, trying to think about everything else but the shameful behavior she had just now. While chiding herself, Regina found a number – to her own surprise- and mindlessly fill in the slot with her pen. Emma gawked at her.
"That's mine!"
Regina recoiled. She was so out of sorts today.
"I am… taking my revenge…" her mouth and brain decided to say.
"I didn't take your for a vindictive woman"
"Appearances can be deceiving"
"You're the exception to the rule" Emma said without missing a beat, not even looking up while Regina's cheeks flushed hard "You could have just told me! Now they are two colors!"
"Because you hang it on your wall like a prize when you succeed?" Regina scoffed finally succeeding in gathering herself.
Emma stuck out her tongue.
"Just fill yours before mine!" she protested
When Emma turned away from Regina to protect her grid, the urge to annoy the younger woman roared to life. The older woman looked over Emma's arm and tried to fill in the final slots faster than the police officer. Emma turned to do the same on Regina's grid all the while trying to protect hers. They fought so intently that Emma almost missed her stop.
"Let's see who wins tomorrow!" she shouted, before jumping out of the train while the doors closed.
The day after Emma brought easy grids. She made up some rules, like an exciting kid creating a new game. They had one grid for two and the winner was the one who filled in the highest numbers of slots when the grid was completed. Obviously, they would eventually fight for the same spot. In order to win, the police officer would tickle Regina but she would fight back, preventing Emma from writing by blocking her wrist or snatching the grid away from her.
"You're cheating!" she yelled disbelieving.
"I wasn't in your rules" she answered back, amusement playing on her lips.
Emma narrowed her eyes and put the grid back between them. Some other passengers were looking at them but they didn't care. Regina didn't. All that mattered was that sweet moment which was the highlight of her day. All that mattered was Her smile, Her laugh and that light which was shining in that very moment.
"I won!" Regina declared victoriously after counting the slots.
"Just because you cheated to get the last 9" Emma sighed in defeat but quickly gathered herself "Then you're going to tell your name?"
Regina stared at Emma who was waiting for the answer. Her expression quickly turned into a kicked puppy with 'but you promised!' written all over her face.
"Regina" she said holding out her hand mockingly.
"A fitting name for a beautiful woman" Emma said while shaking their hands and she added with a dorky grin "Nice to meet you."
Regina rolled her eyes, willing the flush to fade away and swallowed. She couldn't quite understand her reaction to Emma's flirt. Well, no. She understood too much. Their hands lingered a while, and Regina shamelessly hoped they would linger longer but Emma's stop was the next one, unfortunately.
"Well then, Regina, would you like to meet other than in the metro line?"
"Is that a date?" Regina blurted out and did everything to hide the flush in her cheeks.
"If…if you'd like to" the younger woman answered, suddenly uncertain.
"I'd like to, but"
"But?" Emma narrowed her eyes with suspicious, knowing the other woman.
"Only if…"
"If…" she was hanging at Regina's every words.
"You win the next one…"
"Oh my! You wish you'd never say that! You're gonna lose fast and hard!" she exclaimed preparing the next grid already.
"You're so full of yourself" Regina scoffed, somewhat please. How could she not? "You know, this is your stop."
Emma shrugged.
"If I can get a date with you, my job will wait" with her usual presumptuous tone.
Regina inhaled sharply and looked away from Emma's smug face that she found annoyingly endearing.
"You're never gonna win!" Emma smirked with that same mischievous smile that had left Regina unsettled more than once now.
"Fine with me…" she whispered before clearing her throat.
"Don't let me win…" the younger woman ridiculously waggled her eyebrows.
"Never dream of it" Regina challenged, snatching the grid and filling the first slots.