Not a lot surprised Emma anymore.
She lived in a magical town filled with fairytale characters. She was the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming, the product of True Love and the purest source of Light Magic. She'd seen trolls and ogres and fairies and elves and had traveled through time and realms.
To say it took a lot to rattle her these days was an understatement.
So when she received a text from Regina early that Saturday morning asking if she'd like to come over for breakfast, didn't even blink.
Their relationship had morphed over the years from a passionate hatred to a strong, even more passionate friendship. To say they were 'close' would have been an understatement. And though neither of them were ready to put a name on what they had, Emma knew that to anyone from the outside (and apparently the entire town if her mother had anything to say about it) their friendship looked like a whole lot more than that.
And if Emma were honest with herself, it felt like a whole lot more too.
But instead of analyzing it anymore (because if she was honest it was still to early for that sort of soul searching) she accepted the invite and asked if she could bring anything.
As she was trying to decide if her favorite jeans were clean enough for a third wear her phone pinged.
'A gallon of milk and your favorite cereal'
Emma was mid snort when the next text came in.
'And wear your pjs'
"Hey Ma!" Henry greeted with a toothy grin and a quick hug before grabbing the groceries from her.
"Hey kid," Emma replied following him into the house and closing the door behind her before heading towards the kitchen. She smirked when she saw Regina in her Wonder Woman pajamas and fuzzy socks, trying to ignore the voice in her head that was screaming at how adorable the brunette looked with her still sleep mused hair and her glasses.
"You're staring Swan, and its creepy."
Emma chuckled and walked over to greet her friend with their customary kiss on the cheek, helping her with the bowls and spoons she had in her hand. "You don't think it's creepy. You love when I gawk at you. Gives you a chance to compare me to a brainless guppy."
Regina grinned and brought a hand to her chest in mock surprise. "How thoughtful of you to give me an opportunity to mock you."
Emma bowed dramatically and adopted an exaggerated posh tone as she replied "I serve at the pleasure My Majesty."
Regina snorted softly and led the way to the living room where Henry was already lounging inside an intricate looking blanket fort halfway through his first bowl of what looked like Lucky Charms.
"That stuff is gonna rot your teeth kid," Emma cautioned, contradicting her words by digging into the box for a generous handful and shoving the entire thing in her mouth.
"Barbarian," Regina murmured as she crawled into the fort.
"Party pooper," Emma retorted, following her and grabbing a bowl and her box of Cocoa Puffs.
And that's how the morning progressed: the three of them watching old cartoons and eating way too much sugary cereal. And then Henry ditched them to go play soccer and it was just her and Regina folding blankets and washing dishes, talking about nothing and everything and anything in between. And it was comfortable and familiar and it made Emma feel safe and like she'd finally found the home she was looking for. There, amidst Cocoa Puffs and Lucky Charms, with Regina and Henry, Emma had found her home.
Not a lot surprised Emma anymore.
But when the conversation lulled and their eyes met and Emma saw how those deep brown eyes filled with an emotion she was positive she'd seen in her own once or twice, Emma had to take a minute.
Because, yeah they were best friends and Regina was her son's mother and they'd literally gone to Hell and back together. And maybe Emma lingered at the city functions a little longer when Regina was around, and maybe she had learned what Regina's go to comfort food was and what songs she liked to sing in the shower and how she'd gotten that sexy little scar above her lip.
But to love, to love and be loved, was an awfully big adventure.
An adventure Emma wasn't entirely sure she was ready for.
But then Regina broke the silence and teased her about setting off the smoke detectors with all that thinking she was doing, and Emma couldn't help but smile and wonder if maybe, just maybe, it wasn't just her adventure to embark on.
It was theirs.
And if Regina was ready for it, then Emma decided she was too.
Because not a lot surprised her anymore, but Emma was positive that loving Regina would be full of surprises.
Thank you for reading ~ C.A.