A/N: I was inspired to write this one-shot by a comment I received on another one of my stories-in which Emmett makes an appearance. They wished I would write another story involving a completely gender-swapped Emma, so I decided to oblige. If you were the anon who sent that message, this is for you, and thank you for the lovely compliment. I hope you enjoy.
The Corner Store
"Damn it," Emmett cursed to himself as his eyes scanned the store's shelf for the umpteenth time. "How hard is it for a woman to buy her own tampons?"
It was that time of the month again for Emmett's roommate to have her period, and–since Mary Margaret was home, sick in bed–it was apparently his job to buy her supplies.
Emmett's inner ramblings were interrupted by the sound of someone chuckling beside him. "Let me guess, they're for your wife?"
Immediately, his gaze snapped to the speaking woman and his jaw hit the ground. The woman was beautiful; breathtakingly stunning.
"Do close your mouth, dear. You'll catch flies." The dark-haired woman winked at him before turning to the display of feminine products in front of them.
"If the twenty-two minutes of you staring blankly at the wall is any indication, I believe it's safe to say you have no idea what you're looking for," she concluded with an even tone. Emmett could do nothing more than nod at her statement, which seemed to displease the woman.
"What?" Emmett questioned with a furrowed brow.
"Well, I can't help you if you won't tell me what your wife's cycle is like," the brunette commented, placing a hand on her hip.
"Right," the man agreed, blushing slightly. "My roommate usually complains about it being heavy during the beginning and today's her first day. Oh! And she's usually a tampon person," Emmett finished. The woman nodded at the information, making a mental note of the man's use of the word 'roommate'.
"That's a start," she smiled before returning to her task of rummaging through the many pastel-colored boxes that littered the shelf. Now that the woman was facing away from him, Emmett had a perfect view of the brunette's backside. "You didn't tell me your name, by the way."
Having been distracted by the vision the woman was proving him with, the man's response came a tad later than he would have liked. "It's Emmett."
Retrieving a light-pink colored box from the back of the shelf, the woman turned to the man with a victorious grin. "Nice to meet you, Emmett. I'm Regina." She handed him the box, causing their hands to lightly brush against one another's. A shiver ran down Emmett's spine from the contact, and in that moment he decided to clear his throat.
"Not that I don't appreciate the help, because I do. I really do. But…why?" Emmett asked.
The brunette shifted on her feet for a moment before responding. "I-I might need a favor in return," she admitted aloud. "It's my son. His birthday is coming up and he's really wanted this one comic book, but I'm afraid I've forgotten the title."
The woman purposefully kept her gaze anywhere but on the man before her. "All I know is some botched description of the story and...I'm afraid to ask the manager for help," she finished, flashing him a sheepish smile.
Emmett willed himself not to chuckle at the woman's adorable expression. "So you decided to ask a complete stranger, who may or may not even know of the comic, for help?" he smirked at the woman.
"I know," she winced at her own actions. "It was silly of me. I understand if–"
"No!" Emmett was quick to cut her off. "It's fine. Really," he reassured her. "I'd be happy to help."
The two shared a smile, which to onlookers might have seemed more than just polite, and then Regina led them to the comics' section of the store. Emmett had no trouble identifying the woman's desired comic, and both made their way to the cashier.
"Oh, I almost forgot," Regina said, snatching the box of tampons from Emmett's hand. "Here," she handed him the comic book. "I think it would make this much easier for the both of us." She smiled at him.
"Thanks," Emmett returned, casting the woman a dimpled smile of his own.
Once they had both purchase their items, the two made their way into the parking lot.
"Thanks again for the help," the blonde-haired man smiled.
Regina chuckled lightly in response. "You already said that."
"I know. I just wanted to make sure you knew."
The two lingered on the sidewalk, both refusing to be the first one to head toward their car.
"I–"
"You–"
The two laughed at having spoken at the same time.
"You first." Emmett stared into brown eyes.
"Well…I was going to say that you were a big help and I know Henry will love his comic."
Emmett's expression dropped, having expected Regina to say something more.
"But," she added, reaching into her purse. "I also want to give you my number. You know, just in case you have another tampon emergency." Regina offered the man a wink.
Emmett took the woman's card into his hand. "You do know this means I can call you now," he teased.
Regina nudged him in the ribs before whispering under her breath, just loudly enough for him to hear, "I'm counting on it."
Unfortunately, the pair had to part ways–Emmett returning home to his shared apartment with his roommate and Regina returning home to her son.
Upon his arrival back home, Emmett quickly noticed that he had accidentally forgotten to switch back his and Regina's bags! To say Mary Margaret was pissed at him–for bringing home a comic book instead of her tampons–would be an extreme understatement.
On the bright side, however, it seemed Emmett's wish to see Regina again would be granted sooner than he thought.