AN: Sorry about the wait! Excuses at the end. Enjoy!
Regina's knuckles tightened around the steering wheel. The pounding in her head didn't hurt so much as annoy; the constant ache in her temple was dull but present nonetheless.
The streetlights illuminated the quieting streets; soon only Archie would be the only person out with Pongo. She never really understood why he enjoyed walking around town by himself.
In the dead of night.
But it wasn't like anything bad would happen to him. Well… hopefully not.
Not like they could get any worse than they were now.
Laws were not a large priority for Regina at the moment; if the haphazard parking of her car on the curb was anything to go by. She took a deep breath and tried to center herself. It wasn't working.
She loosened her fingers from the wheel and exited the car. Pausing before the door she glared at the closed sign before looking through the window. Gold was standing behind the counter watching her careful. She smirked as he shook his head in warning.
The sigh he released when she entered and slammed the door behind her was better than anything else she'd heard before. Well, expected for Henry calling her 'mama' the first time. But Gold's sigh was a close second.
"We need to talk."
"Honeymoon not it's cracked up to be, dearie?"
Regina stalked up to the counter and instead of her usual slamming of hands on the counter, she smiled. And for the first time threw Gold off guard. "Oh, hardly. Emma can't keep her hands off me."
His eyes widened. "Really?" He couldn't believe they'd give in that easily.
"No, you fool." Regina snapped. She slammed her hands on the counter. And Gold smiled at being back on familiar ground, this Regina he could handle. "Well, not exactly."
"Care to elaborate?"
"Not particularly." Regina mumbled, turning her head. Talking with Gold always had consequences if you gave too much information. But in this situation Regina didn't even know where to begin.
"Then why are you here?"
Regina was silent for a moment. "I need answers."
Gold smirked, "Then you'll need to ask questions."
Regina couldn't help the down turn of her lips as she met his smug smile. There were so many things she wanted to say, none of them in anyway appropriate, yet she couldn't. The pounding began to announce itself once more.
Gold hummed thoughtfully as he watched her. She couldn't hide the small winch. "You're in pain."
"Nothing I can't handle." Regina snapped.
"Not true." He relished the falling of her face. "Where is the gallant Saviour?"
"Why does that matter?" Regina was getting fed up with his stupid riddles and smiling face.
"Because she's the reason for your headache."
"She's the reason for ma-... How do you know I have a headache?"
"I can see that lovely vein pounding in your forehead." Regina's hand slapped her forehead as tried to find the offending blood vessel. "Plus, it's a side effect."
"Side effect?"
"Of that adorable charm bracelet adorning your wrist. And I must say I am displeased I wasn't invited to the ceremony."
Regina's head began to pound for a different reason as she seethed. "I will gut you where you stand."
Gold leant against his cane and raised his brow.
"Fine." Regina sighed. "What does my headache have to do with Ms Swan?"
"Keeping your last names? How modern." Gold tried to keep the smile off his face but the anger in Regina's eyes was too good of an opportunity to pass up. Before she had the chance to react he spoke up. "The headache is a sign of being too far from your... spouse."
"So I have to stay with Ms Swan?!" She'd spent the whole day with her already. And she wouldn't admit it, but apart from the bracelet conundrum, she was relatively good company. Better than the company she had now.
"Not stay, just near enough. Otherwise the pain will increase to the point where you can't function. The bracelets make people spend time in each others company. In the hopes of forcing them to open up and become acclimatized to their nuptials."
"So that's what they do?"
"Yes."
"...nothing else?"
"Else?"
"Other symptoms or side effects. What are they?"
"There aren't any others I know I of. There shouldn't be any others. Why? What's happened?" Regina leant back as he leant forward. How could the headache be the only side effect? Did that mean that Emma's actions were entirely her own?
"Nothing." Regina muttered. "Nothing." She straightened out, closing her eyes as the pounding increased.
"You better find Ms Swan before you're unable to drive." He said quietly. Regina turned and strode from the store missing the slight concern in his eyes.
The dial tone in her ear seemed to encourage the pounding in her head. As did the voice greating her ears for the fourth time.
"Hi, you've reached Emma Swan. Leave a message."
"If you don't answer your phone I will saw your hand off from your wrist so I no longer have to bear your presence." Regina growled into the phone before turning it off and throwing on the passenger seat.
She sat for a moment. Took a deep breath then slammed her hands against the steering wheel. "Goddammit!"
Holding her head in her hands she sighed and started the engine. Home, she just wanted to go home. Maybe if she got drunk enough the headache would dull.
The thought of just going home seemed to ease the pounding in her head. The relief she felt upon entering her driveway was short lived when she looked at the front step.
"What the hell are you doing here?"
"Ugh, don't shout. My head finally stopped pounding and I would appreciate a minute to enjoy the peace." Emma groaned lolling her head back against the front door Regina wanted to run through.
"Are you telling me that you've been here since I left?"
Emma glared. "Not like I couldn't go anywhere else."
"Why not?"
"Everything's in your house!"
"What?"
"I hid my phone from you so you couldn't call anyone and make things worse, and I may have left my keys with it. Not like that makes a difference seeing as my bug is at the station on the other side of town."
Regina stared unblinkingly at the Saviour. This woman - who now seemed ridiculously under-qualified as a Saviour, Sheriff, Curse-breaker, etc. - had once again managed to render her speechless.
"You idiot."
"Tell me something I don't know." Emma grumbled rising from her spot and gesturing for Regina to open the house.
Regina pursed her lips as she moved to unlock it, her eyes continually glancing to the blonde leaning heavily upon the frame. Emma followed her wordlessly into the house.
Regina watched her go to the study. Emma walked out stuffing her hand in her jacket pockets and made her way to the door.
"I'll see you tomorrow I guess."
"Where are you going?"
"…home?" Emma asked her eyes narrowing. Where else would she be going?
"Stay." Regina blurted out before she could censor herself. Barely resisting the urge to smack herself in the face Regina straightened her shoulders. Act like you know what you're doing. She told herself.
"What?"
"You heard me." Regina stated walking into the study. Alcohol, yes please.
"You want me to stay?" Emma stood watching Regina move. The woman never failed to surprise her.
"I wouldn't have said otherwise."
"The purse of your lips and bulging vein in your forehead say otherwise." Emma quipped as Regina stilled the tumbler moving to her lips.
"It does not bulge." She snarled.
"Does now." Emma said pointing to her forehead.
"Fine. If you don't want to stay, leave. I was merely being polite due to the late hour and long day we've had together."
Emma's face scrunched up as she contemplated her decision. "So you don't just want me to stay because this is basically our honeymoon night?"
"I'm not having sex with you if that's what you're after."
"And my hopes for the night are shattered!" Emma mockingly declared a hand over her heart as she fell back into the doorframe. Regina hid her smile as she finished her cider.
"Oh shut up and get your sorry ass up to the guest room."
Emma laughed as Regina poured herself another drink. Walking up the stairs she turned back to see Regina watching her. "My ass is many things and sorry isn't one of them."
Regina snorted into her glass as Emma sashayed dramatically up the stairs.
Regina had to admit that ass was many many things. And she would personally thank whoever created jeans that were skin tight because the view was astounding.
AN: Excuses. Build of assignments that I'd put off to the last minute, family issues, and a muse that decided to play hide and seek.
First off: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed this is the first story of mine to reach 100 reviews, something I never thought possible.
Secondly: With mid-sem break coming up I hope to maybe get two or more chapters written and fleshed out for you guys. Cause I love you.
Thirdly: Review, tell me what you think!