As much as I would like to own them, all the characters and plot of Once Upon A Time belong to ABC – I own nothing but my own writing and plot.

Hello everybody! Here you go, some more back story and a little bit of angst? I hope you like and I'll be back tomorrow! :)

Thank you to everybody liking and reblogging etc. over on Tumblr and a huge thanks to everybody following and faving over on here, I really am grateful for all the love. So, enjoy and I will see you tomorrow for day 5, Wrath! :D

June 2016, Manhattan, New York / Day 4: Sloth

The air was tense as the argument paused, the two vampires staring one another down from where they were stood either side of Regina's expensive living room couch.

"So what's it going to be Regina?"

"What do you expect me to say Emma?"

The blonde shrugged. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe you could just admit it so we can both move on with our lives?!"

"Emma... you know I can't."

"Why Regina? I did over a year ago and when I left and came back you didn't say anything, you didn't even acknowledge that I'd admitted my feelings for you, you just assumed everything would go back to the way they were but they didn't did they? Instead I'm stuck in this loop with you, trying not to feel what I feel but I just can't any more! I can't look at you and not want something more, why can't you just admit that too?!"

"Because you can't tell someone that they love you Emma, that's not the way it works!"

"I know that, I know I can't force you to think or even like me in that way but for God-sakes say something that doesn't run along the lines of 'how long are you staying for?', 'how long will you be gone?', 'my mother can't find us together like this'! I'm sick of it Regina!"

"Don't you think I am too? Do you think I like hiding you from my mother from fear that she might kill you the moment she lays her eyes on you? She knows about you and me Emma, I can't lose the one thing that I live for. I can lose everything else but I can't lose you."

"Then just admit it!"

"E-Emma, I can't..."

And just like that they had come to another pause again, Emma staring intently at Regina as the brunette averted her eyes. This had been a conversation a long time in the making and she knew it would probably end up with a blow-out but she couldn't keep her feelings in any more. She'd admitted she'd fallen for Regina and the other vampire had just brushed her off as if it had meant nothing at all to her. Emma couldn't do it any more and she was intent on making it clear in any way possible no matter how much it hurt her inside to be hostile, at least verbally, towards the woman she loved.

"Regina-"

"You know what my mother would do if I did."

"And I'd be with you every step of the way, right by your side. When will you accept you're not alone any more? I'd be there for you Regina."

"And that's what I'm afraid of. I can't lose you Emma."

"Then maybe your life would be better if I wasn't in it."

"What do you mean?" She frowned, crossing her arms defiantly over her chest as Emma shrugged in return.

"You know what I mean. Your life could go back to being simple without you having to worry about me being out on my own somewhere in the world. You'd be able to stop looking over your shoulder."

"Emma, that's not true."

"Regina, you know it is. You may be fine with living this lie but I'm not any more. I liked the thrill of what we were before but I want more and if you're not willing or you're not ready I'll step back because I can't love someone who doesn't love me back. Goodbye Regina."

She watched helplessly, frozen as Emma turned and made her way to the front door of her luxurious penthouse apartment, the blonde vampire missing the look of heartbreak on Regina's face as she did. As she felt it shatter in her chest she knew that if Emma walked out and closed that door behind her she'd lose the only love she'd ever truly felt, the only person she'd ever loved. Emma was that one person who saw her for her and not some snobbish pureblood bitch who didn't care about anyone but herself. Instead she saw a woman who was abused by her mother from birth and forced into a life that she didn't want. Emma was the person who made her feel normal, or at least as normal as a person could feel considering she'd been born a vampire. She'd saw through all of that and admitted her feelings and she'd brushed her off because she wasn't ready to deal with her own. She wasn't ready to deal with the repercussions of what would happen if she admitted hers out loud and now her only chance to redeem herself was slowly slipping out of her hands as Emma opened the door.

"Emma wait!"

The other woman froze, hand still on the door handle as footsteps fast approached her from behind. In a matter of seconds she was being spun around on her boot-clad feet and pulled into a kiss that instantly felt different from any other she'd ever shared with Regina before. Hands cupped either side of her face as the kiss deepened, her hands coming down to rest on Regina's waist firmly as they pulled one another closer.

When Regina pulled away, effectively ending the kiss, her eyes were closed as she rested her forehead against Emma's, her thumbs stroking her jaw calmingly as she regained her breath. After another few moments of silence her eyes finally opened, wanting to look into Emma's own as she said it.

"I love you."

"You do?"

The older vampire nodded, biting her lip nervously. "Yes, I do."

"I love you too."

There needed to be no more words, they could figure out what came next later on but right now Emma drew her into another slow kiss as she softly kicked the front door closed behind her, the both of them smiling against one another's lips as she directed them towards the bedroom.