I'll admit this chapter is a bit too fluffy imo, but I hope you'll like it! Let me know!
Emma wakes up in her apartment, before her parents and before her son. She walked downstairs and went to her kitchen to make herself a nice hot cocoa, with cinnamon of course. Then she went back to her room and got dressed up for work.
She bought coffee to go in a paper cup, like she does every morning. But today was a bit different because she bought two cups of coffee instead of a single one. She decides to pay a visit to a dear woman.
When Emma enters the town hall building she can feel her heartbeats racing inside her chest, but she tries to avoid them and focus on her mini-mission. She went to see Regina, and she's perplexed. All she knows is that she wants to make her feel confident enough about this, about them, the two of them being together.
"Hey," Emma says a bit insecure herself.
"Good morning, Swan," Regina answers with a strong tone, like she's not comfortable enough.
"You can call me Emma… I suppose, after last night, it would be nice… if you want to."
"Oh. Yes, I suppose. Emma. Maybe it's just the force of habit," Regina answers, still a bit shy or even embarrassed. It's like the two of them forget all those times they called each other by their first names. Seems like it happens only when they don't pay attention. Like it's only when they are going through a thing. Together.
Regina is trying to break the ice, pointing her finger toward the cups Emma decided to put on her desk, "so, do you intend to drink two cups of coffee by yourself? Or is one of them for me?"
"Good morning to you too. Actually it's for Henry, he wanted to taste the coffee I was drinking, so I bought two cups instead of one, and I'll meet him at the corner in a few minutes to give him his…" Emma is teasing Regina, and enjoys the threatening look she gets from her.
"You're not serious. He can't drink coffee it's too unhealthy at his age! I thought you knew that-" Regina reacts almost immediately to Emma's words, then by looking at her she realizes she was messing with her the whole time.
"Oh Regina," she laughs at her, "don't you know when I'm messing with you by now?" Regina reacts to her words with a small cheeky smile. "So, well, yes, this coffee IS for you. Do you want it? I don't know if you'd like it but-"
The brunette already takes a sip from the cup by the time the blonde finishes her idea. "It's perfect, Emma," she says politely, even though she cuts her in the middle of a sentence. Her tone is suddenly loving, almost as she was drinking a love potion (but without the cheesy part).
Her look is soft, and the coffee really is perfect for her. Emma knew exactly what to give her and this is something she appreciates very much. She knows deep down it was not a guess. Whether she likes it or not, Emma Swan really does know her. Perhaps sometimes even better than she knows herself.
She takes another long sip whilst looking into Emma's breathtaking green eyes. Regina was staring at her, well, not really. It was more like she was delving. The other woman was talking about a thing, something, it doesn't really matter; it's just an unimportant thing. Regina was just focused on Emma being there. She is not used to open her day with Emma Swan by her side, but it's the best experience ever.
Regina was a bit startled by Emma. She was almost surprised to see how energetic she was first thing in the morning. She should've imagined it, of course. But, the important thing about these moments is what Regina was thinking in her mind. Or, more specifically what she was focusing on.
She wasn't paying any kind of attention to Emma's words. It's like her brain just pressed 'mute' on the rest of the world. Regina was just looking at Emma. No, no just looking but one might say she was glancing at her. She was just amazed by her.
At first she looked just inside Emma's eyes, but then her perfect blonde hair and its little curls at the tips attracted Regina's attention, then she moved Emma's lips, then the way she was moving her palms and the little twist she beautifully did with her wrists somehow drew Regina's look. It's like Regina was just exploring every inch of Emma. And for the first time ever she realized she was loving it.
Regina put the paper cup to rest on the desk close to her, still admiring Emma's looks. "Hey there, are you even listening to me? Regina? Regina!" Emma was kind of yelling at her by now, because she finally paid attention to the fact Regina wasn't really listening.
"Oh, what? Yes, Emma. Well, no, actually. I didn't hear. What is it that you said, again? I'm sorry…"
"Oh it was just a thing… nothing important actually, just some weird guy I caught driving way too fast the other day and he started arguing with me… I don't know. Even Storybrooke has its weirdos, I guess."
"Is that really it?"
"Why, is there anything more that I'm supposed to be talking about?" Emma asked, quite confused.
"Well, I don't know. Anything you say may or may not be important."
"Um… well… no. I just wanted to be here with you," she sneaks a little smile, "To open my day talking to you. Is that a good enough answer for you Madam Mayor?" Emma answered back, with an amused tone. "It's just that you seemed to completely ignore what I had to say and chose to daydream or hover instead".
"I wasn't hovering. I was just admiring your infinite beauty." Regina said it sharply, though it was just a soft, pure voice. She really meant it, and she had enough courage to let it out. Though she probably didn't consider how it would sound out loud.
Emma was gazing back at Regina; she was literally just amazed to hear these words coming from her. It's like something's changed overnight. Regina was more open, less intense and basically just seemed… happy.
"You are beautiful yourself, Regina," Emma took a deep breath to appreciate the moment, and then finished her thoughts. "So, are we going to finish this coffee or what?"
They drink up, exchange smiles, then Emma glimpses at her watch and says that she has to leave or else the station would be empty, since her dad stayed home with his new born. Just him with his son, for the first time, actually.
Regina stays in her office. She is writing an unimportant thing down on a piece of paper that was lying on her desk. Then, for some reason she is raising her head and noticing a framed picture of Robin and Roland placed on the coffee table near the fireplace.
Oh enough with this Robin Hood already. Enough with him and his cute little son. They're not coming back, she reminds herself. So what if he's my soul mate? "Who said you have to have only one soul mate?" Regina's asking herself angrily out loud.
"Yeah, who said that? Maybe I can fix myself a new soul mate. What do you think about that Gina?!" Belle suddenly storms into the office. She's drunk, she's careless and she could've just fall down if Regina wasn't there to run towards her and catch her.
"Oh, Belle!" Regina panicked. "What is going on with you?"
"I just want it to be over. Maybe… just maybe I think it was a mistake. I want him to be back, I miss him too much. Is there a way to bring him back?"
"No, no Belle. You said it yourself, he ruined you. Now is the perfect time for you to focus on yourself." Belle's face seems vulnerable, she's clenching her eyebrows and the lines on her forehead are thickened. "But first of all, maybe you should take a nap. You're totally drunk."
Regina helps Belle to set herself on the couch. "I just want to forget about him… or have him back here. I don't know," she starts weeping; obviously Belle is very drunk at the moment, though her words are genuine. "I just wish I could know what he thinks, whether or not he still loves me."
She takes a few minutes to consider her words, as much as possible at the moment, while Regina sets Belle's legs on the couch. "He betrayed me… but, I betrayed him too." A tear falls down her cheek, and she closes her eyes slowly, quietly, then wiping her tears. "He never thought I'd do this to him. And… I never thought I'd do this to him."
"Oh come on, don't beat yourself up. You know you did exactly what's best for you. Now go to sleep. Just, let it go for now. We can discuss this later." Then Regina starts wondering herself.
Did I do what's best for me? What if… I shouldn't have let him go? What if my choice to let him go was a mistake? "Ugh, Such a stupid thing to be thinking about right now. Damn you Robin Hood. Why do I even care for you?"
Sunset is near. Belle is still on the couch. Regina knows she can't leave Belle alone in her office but she needs to know Henry's not going to expect her at the house while she stays with her friend. So she calls Emma.
But before that, she take a few steps towards the fireplace. She recalls Robin and herself sitting next to the couch, near the cozy fire, eating sweets. She looks up and that picture is there. I don't want anything to do with this man anymore. She says in her mind.
With a determined attitude she decides to take the said picture out of its frame and throw it into the flame. She does that not because she's angry. Not to show the world how badass she is, either. She decides to let it burn because she wants to put this man behind her.
It doesn't matter at the moment if it's by throwing it to the garbage can, or maybe ripping it to small pieces or using her magic on it, it doesn't matter. The idea was to just to put it behind her. To let it go because she doesn't want her mind to be burdening itself with this. Just to stop thinking about them. They don't matter anymore. They are in the past.
So she just uses the closest thing to her that helps her make that happen. That just happened to be the flames of a burning fire. She dials Emma's number. Never looking back at those faces.
With the first ray of light she opens her eyes. "Oh God I can't believe I stayed here with you! You piece of… vodka. What were you drinking anyway?! You smell of… some weird stuff. And now my hair stinks and I didn't get a chance to take a decent shower."
"Um… what? Oh, well, I didn't ask you to be here with me! It's just that you are such a good friend and…" Belle smirks.
Regina cuts her, "Oh shut up already. It's nothing. I don't have to take a shower to stay gorgeous. I've still got some tricks up my sleeve… or something," considering she was wearing a midi dress with no sleeves of any kind.
Belle's scratching her left eye, "My head hurts. Do you have a trick for that?" she asks desperately, with a little frown.
"A trick for hangover? Actually… No!" Regina's unsatisfied tone strikes loud and clear. She's not trying to hide her disapproval, but both of them know it's only a friendly kind. "What was it yesterday anyway?"
"What do you mean?"
"You know what I mean, you came in here while you were drunk and you started talking about your soul mate."
"Oh I was talking about my soul mate only 'cause you were talking about yours, Regina. I mean, I do think about him. Every single minute of every single day. That's why I can't stop drinking. I don't like thinking about him. I just… can't not."
"Maybe you should just move on. You know, to find someone else. Or, even better – just be by yourself for some time."
"Yes, that is what I was going to do. This is what I'm doing. But I just can't bring myself to forget about him. I mean, he probably moved on already. It's been weeks. I hope… for his sake. But, why can't I? Just to move on. Just… don't want to think."
"Weeks maybe, but not that many weeks. It's okay to think about it. You shouldn't feel bad about it. When it is time to move on you'd know. Trust me when I say, you would."
"I really do love that beast."
After a quiet pause both of them take a deep breath, then Regina says, "Well… I'm going to go out now. I'll take the car. Do you want to join me? Should I take you to the shop or…?"
"Yes, I'd love to join you. Just drop me wherever you can." Belle throws a sore smile at her direction, but Regina knows she has to give her friend some time to process things on her own.
"Say no more."
Both of them get into the car, Regina drops Belle at Granny's but then decides to get out of the car herself and buy two cups of coffee. She puts the cup holder on the seat next to her and starts the car.
The sheriff's station is the next stop. It's 9:00AM and Emma is probably there already. She's going to pay her a visit.
"We should totally take her out." Emma says, eating a bear claw and taking another sip from that wonderful coffee Regina gave her. The bear claw came from her own stock.
Regina makes a face.
"What! It would be like… a girls night out! You know… we could have some actual fun."
She sighs. "Okay… well… I guess. Considering it will be our first night out together. We can take Belle if you think it's a good idea."
"Yeah, it would be great. She needs this and we can… hook her up with someone, or whatever."
"You know I'm worried about her. She really misses Rumple and…"
"And what?"
"I'm starting to think maybe it's not entirely a bad thing. I mean… she was married to him."
"Well, I don't think it's a bad thing. At all. It's very normal. Or course she loved him. I saw the way they were looking at each other, how much she admired him and how much he looked up to her… But I trust Belle's instincts about banning him; it was exactly what was needed to be done."
"He was like a father to me in a way. I looked up to him too," Regina says, can't believe she's letting these words slip through her mouth while she's on guard, but it's like her body knows it's safe to say it near Emma. "There are a lot of things about my past that you don't know of… Emma."
"It's okay. I have my own stuff too. I trust that when it's time we'd both share things about our past. It'll just come whenever it is the right moment."
Regina did not see that one coming. She thought Emma would be a total baby about it and that she would want to know exactly what that means. But then she took a second to rethink about it, and realized Emma was always the one that accepted her feelings, and vice versa. "I know."
Emma examined Regina's face. She smiled and Regina smiled back at her, with a reassuring expression on her face. "You know?"
"Yes. You know what? I know. I believe you when you say it. I just know that you're right. I can feel it inside my body; you are right."
Emma took a moment to appreciate that little part of the conversation, and so did Regina. Both of them know that being able to say these things to one another means something. It means they trust each other, and that they believe the words of the other woman with not a single doubt on their minds. Both of them know they'll do whatever it takes to get to that point in their lives where they feel safe enough to say things like that out loud. Because now it's not that they don't trust each other, it's that they don't believe in themselves enough.
Then Emma said, "I'm saying – let's call Belle!"
"Let's call Belle? It's only… 4:00PM?!" Regina makes a face with a surprised voice. "Do you seriously want to tell me it's 4:00PM?" She doesn't understand. How come so much time has passed and we didn't notice?
"Yes, actually, I've noticed that. But you were talking… and I was so hypnotized by your words, Regina Mills, that I couldn't bring myself to stop you. Did you use magic on me?"
Regina shakes her head, that's a no.
"Are you sure Madam Mayor?"
"Yes, I'm sure… sheriff." The older woman said in a cynical tone.
Childish Emma giggles to the sound of her words. "So, do you want me to call her?"
"Mmm… maybe we should take a late lunch break. Before calling her. You know… it's not safe to drink with an empty stomach." Regina says, basically teasing her.
"So, do you want me to go get us some food from Granny's?"
"Well, let's go there together?"
Emma feels as she should be surprised by her preposition, but it just feels right. Both of them feel that. They feel ready, prepared. They like that feeling and they are not even a bit afraid to be together. It's not the first time they're going together to Granny's, of course, but it's the first time they do that when they are together. Really together.
"Together it is!"
After a few moments and as Emma was getting ready, Regina asked with a serious yet soft voice, "Emma?"
"Yes?"
"Can I get your permission to kiss you right now at this very moment?"
Emma knows the answer, she doesn't need to think about it, but she takes a moment and after that moment she finally says yes. It took her a moment because she wanted to kiss Regina right away but had to stop herself. She wanted Regina to be the one to kiss her like she intended, she didn't want to steal this chance from her, and to be the one to do it, because Regina finally wants to, really does.
"Yes, please."
And so they kiss.
Regina comes closer to Emma's body. She puts her hands on Emma's cheeks, Regina's upper body rubs Emma's and she closes her eyes. She puts her dark red lips against Emma's light soft ones. Regina grasps Emma's whole body with her hands. She's travelling with her palms through Emma's hair, then to her neck and her back and then she rests her hands near her waist.
Emma tilts her head while her eyes are closed. Thus she begins to realize how wonderful Regina Mills' lips feel, how soft her skin is and how much time she was waiting to really feel it. Regina's lips taste like a deadly raspberries liquor, but this kiss is full of life. She breaks apart only for a fracture of a moment to take a deep breath and then she ends the kiss with a little bump on Regina's lips.
This was surprising, but didn't seem sudden. Both of them knew it was just in time. Regina asked for it, so it really was the best way to do it.
Both of them opened their eyes and kind of felt the wind touching their skin, even though they were still inside a room with no wind at all. Regina looked into Emma's overwhelming green eyes – and smiled. A genuine smile, that makes her brown eyes shine as if they were made of gold.
"Emma, I-" she pauses immediately, "thank you."
"You silly. You don't have to thank me for that. I bet you're a better kisser than me anyway, so if there's anything to thank for, I thank you."
"Oh come on, Emma. You know it isn't about that," she smiles towards her, "I'm just… thanking you for waiting for me. Thank you for not walking away. Not leaving me when I made it so easy for you to do so. I… thank you for that."
Emma smiles back at her. She doesn't know what to say. She wants to say she loves her. After everything they have been through it would be crazy if she wasn't in love with her. She knows it's too early to say it, though she has been dreaming about it for a long, long time. And sometimes, even if they're just brief moments, she senses that same feeling coming from Regina.
"Well, it was really nothing. You're worth waiting for, Regina Mills." She smiles with a little blush on her face.
"Let's go get some food!"
The two of them are going to the booth table at the corner, looking at the menu, occasionally looking at each other. Suddenly, Belle comes out of the lady's room.
"Hey, look, Belle's here."
Regina turns her back for a moment to look at her, "What? It doesn't make any sense. I dropped her here this morning. It was hours ago! What is she still doing here?" She says, or truly just asks the world, with her worried tone. After all this time, Belle has really become one of her closest friends. Regina cares about her.
"Is she drunk?" Emma asks Regina, who is now facing her again. Both of them have a worried look and are clenching their forehead.
Belle's voice is heard, she's laughing. Something Granny said must be hilarious, because Belle never laughs that loud, or rather, never does that when she's sober.
"OK, yes, I'll take that as a yes."
They both share a worried look. They know they need to go to her, but they just really don't want to call off that little date of theirs. "So, what, should we… talk to her?" Emma asks hesitantly.
"Well… yes. I know she feels lonely. She misses Rumple so much," she whispered his name, "maybe we should make 'night out' an evening at home with Belle. You know, at least until she's sober. I think she might be turning a bit too much to the alcohol." This was meant to break the ice, because, it's Belle, she'll never be an alcoholic, she's a good girl. But only the thought of seeing their friend like that makes them even more worried about her. Both of them know what it's like to be a good girl and then just stop being one. It doesn't take that much.
Both of them get up and go to sit next to their friend. They lock her up from both of her sides, not letting her go.
"We're gonna take you outta here now, Belle. Ok? You're too drunk."
She nods and they help her get up and walk slowly towards the car. She lies down on the back seat and her friends sit next to each other in the front.
Regina is looking at Belle through the rear view mirror. Her look is worried, and Emma catches that up.
"Are you two together yet?" Belle suddenly asks.
"Wow I guess you really share stuff with her, uh?" Emma asked Regina, trying to ignore drunken Belle.
"Well, yes, Emma, she's my friend. I didn't know it makes you uncomfortable…"
"I didn't say that. It's just… I'm flattered. I guess it means I mean something to you." Emma says with her sassy voice.
"Of course you do."
Belle's already asleep so when they get to Regina's they need to wake her up. She won't, of course, so they carry her as if she were incapable of using her legs. Regina's hand is locked around her friend's waist and Belle's arm is dropped on Emma's shoulder, around her neck. They guide her and walk inside the mansion.
They drop Belle on the couch, not so gently, letting her know they wouldn't want to carry her like that anymore. She groans and goes back to sleep. Emma starts a fire in the fireplace using a couple of matches. Regina takes a look in the mirror and fixes her purple dress.
Like that, without speaking at all, they know what they're going to do. It's already dark outside. Emma calls her parents to make sure Henry stays with them tonight. Regina checks the fridge and sees if she can make something out of these things. Flour, margarine, apples.
The blonde checks on Belle, "At least she's still breathing, yo."
"Just come over here and help me already!"
"I was gonna go to the kitchen anyway, Reggie."
"Calling me by manly nicknames now, uh?" Regina asks with a surprised yet a sassy tone.
"Shut up. I'm hungry."
"Good, can you get me the baking powder and the sugar out of the pantry please? And the sharpest knife you can find!"
"Ooh, I'm gonna see you cook now? That's sexy! Baking powder, sugar and a sharp knife, coming right up!"
"Not just see, dear." Regina winks and uses a snarky tone. And completely ignores the part where she called her sexy. She'll keep that in mind though.
Emma holds the sugar bag in her hand and asks terrifyingly, "What do you mean, 'not just see'?"
"You're gonna help me make it!" The older woman says.
"But I know pretty much nothing about cooking. Hell, when Henry and I were in New York I made him a pancake and half an egg for breakfast!"
"And that doesn't sound like nothing to me. Come on, get yourself together, it's not so hard. You can slay a dragon but won't try to make a pie?" She smiles at her with a reassuring look. Regina knows exactly what buttons to push when it comes to Emma Swan.
"You know what?"
"What?"
"The game is on!"
Regina laughs at her quietly. "Uh-ah, okay! That's the spirit," she says. "Can you turn on that oven?" The brunette asks and points at it.
As Emma sets the right temperature, Regina takes a pie tin and pours the flour into it. "Now cut the margarine please, I need small pieces."
The blonde starts cutting it and putting the pieces into the flour afterwards. Then she notices the small bag of baking powder and points at it. Regina opens her eyes, like she's surprised she was capable of forgetting anything like that, and nods as a sign for Emma to add it too.
In the mean time Regina gets some water and pours it inside. She takes off her pea coat and puts it on the chair next to her. She's doing that so casually without paying attention, thought Emma Swan notices how great her body looks in that dark purple dress.
Then she puts her hands inside the stuff. Emma makes a sound, "ugh, with your hands?" Regina makes a bitchy face in return and raises one eyebrow. "Who am I kidding, can I do it too?"
"Of course you can, dear." Regina smiles genuinely at her, almost laughing. "Just start kneading until it becomes an actual dough."
"This was one of the best apple pies I've ever tasted!" Belle says, delighted to eat something sweet. "You said Emma made it?" She asks Regina but turns to see Emma's reaction.
"Well, yeah… but it was really more like I was helping Regina. I don't know how to make food."
Belle says, "Well, apparently you know how to make a pie. It's good!" then slices another piece.
"Basically, since the moment you went all 'the game is on!'," Regina tries to imitate Emma's voice, "I did pretty much nothing. So, yes, you did make a pie."
"Okay shut up now you're embarrassing me."
Regina and Belle exchange looks and start laughing together.
After a quiet pause, Belle's looking deeply at Emma, then at Regina, and when her eyes are fixated on her friend's she says, "Thank you for what you're doing for me. I'm not taking it for granted. You two are amazing friends. I wish you both the best with your relationship, or, whatever you call it now." She smiles at them, sending her hands to touch their soft ones.
Emma and Regina lock their eyes at each other, smiling the most stupid, embarrassed smile they ever could, almost blushing, even. It's like they can feel each other through Belle's palms and through their looks. "Thanks, Belle." The blonde says, without letting Regina slip out of her sight.
OMG I really hope you like that chapter! I know it's a bit less drama\angst but I have a few ideas to make the next one a bit more.
Please leave some reviews and requests! xx
