Emma could usually count on one of two types of reactions when a person found out she was a vampire. Either they looked at her like she was some sort of zoo animal before asking to be turned, or they screamed and ran very far away, very quickly. The first was, categorically, much better than the second, mostly because it seemed to raise less attention. To Emma, though, both of these reactions seemed a little over the top. She knew she wasn't that scary or evil looking, maybe even cute on a good day, and tended to be less of a bloodthirsty fiend and more of a hermit. She had never killed anyone, didn't know how to enthrall, and was really more of a daytime person. To sum up, Emma was less of a vampire and more of a boring law student with a propensity toward indirect sunlight and unusual drink preferences.
Although Emma wanted to lie to herself and say that most of her relationships had ended because of the whole vampire thing, she knew that it was more likely that she had just gotten bored. Eternity was a long time, and the thought of being with someone for all of it was unappealing. She also happened to be a workaholic and was more committed to her studies than to her love life. So she had become somewhat of a recluse, focusing on her studying in order to ignore the nagging thought that, if this is all there was, then eternity was really going to be a bummer.
Regardless, her main problem right now was more immediate. With a little concentration, Emma forced her face back into its human appearance. Regina stopped screaming, her mouth open in shock. Emma put up her hands in a conciliatory gesture then reached behind Regina and grabbed both of their shirts. She tried not to worry about the way Regina flinched. She quickly donned her own shirt and put Regina's down on the bed within reach. Regina stared at her, down at the shirt, then slowly grabbed the piece of clothing and put it on.
"Ok," Emma said, speaking slowly, the way one might speak to a skittish animal, "I can see you're upset right now-"
Regina's eyes widened. "Upset?" She sat up in the bed. "Upset?! Do you have any idea what it's like to get ready to go down on a woman who turns out to be a fucking vampire?" Her voice was harsh, and Emma shrank down in the bed, a little scared of the woman in front of her. The irony was not lost on Emma. "Upset."
She stood up from the bed and walked out of the room. Emma followed, suddenly acutely aware that she was not wearing pants, but stopped as Regina turned around, her finger in the air. "You know, I get one fucking day every few weeks to go out, have a little fun, maybe get laid. Just one. This," she gestured at Emma, her hands waving wildly, "You, was not the plan I had in mind!"
Emma smiled sheepishly. "Well, you know how the story goes, girl meets girl, girl finds out other girl is a vampire…"
Regina held up her hand again, telling Emma in no uncertain terms to be quiet. "I don't need this. I really don't." She walked toward the door with Emma at her heels, grabbing her purse that she had dropped on the way in before slipping her shoes back on. "Whatever the fuck you are, I don't care. Just stay away from me." She opened the door and left, slamming it on the way out.
Emma sighed. She walked to the couch and flopped onto the cushions with a frustrated groan. "This is why you don't take home women you just met, Emma." She laid a hand over her eyes, sincerely regretting her lapse in self-control. "Especially women who are so hot they make you vamp out during sex." She rolled her eyes and then got up and headed toward the fridge. A few minutes later, with a mug of microwaved blood in her hands, she sat down at the table and opened her laptop.
As much as she tried to work, the events of the last few hours had left her unfocused. She felt the warm blood course through her body and, even though she hadn't seen her reflection in many years, Emma knew that her cheeks and lips were becoming tinged with pink. Every twelve hours, Emma drank a mug of warm pig's blood. The blood kept her alive (sort of) and warm, but didn't make her heart beat.
With what felt like her millionth sigh of the night, Emma closed her laptop, carried her mug to the sink, and quickly rinsed it out. Nothing worse than blood stains on ceramic. She made her way to her room, pausing at the foot of her bed to pick up the pair of pants that Regina had so expertly stripped off her. So much for keeping your cool. Emma threw the jeans into the corner of the room and climbed into bed. She pulled the covers over her body (it was an old habit) and clicked off the light, bathing the room in darkness. It didn't matter too much. Being a vampire had its perks: eternal life, no sunburns, and night vision. And, of course, the ability to repel gorgeous women in mere seconds.
Emma put her hands behind her head and stared at the ceiling. The sun would be rising in a few hours, but the blackout curtains in the room would keep her safe. For the first time in years, Emma had the sudden urge to stay up and watch the sunrise, to test her strength, see how long she could stand to feel the direct sunlight on her skin before she smelled smoke and felt the sharp pain. The thought was irrational and it was gone almost immediately. Her ability to withstand the pain never changed, just like everything else in her life. Just like her.
Emma turned on her side and closed her eyes. Her mind drifted and she saw Regina, with her olive skin and dark red lips, and a ghostly feeling of the way her tongue had trailed across her body. As she fell asleep, Emma felt warmer than she had in decades.