I can't remember whether Regina has hardwood floor in her bedroom or if they just never showed it but for the sake or this story, we are going to pretend that she does.
Inevitable: Chapter 9
Regina's alarm went off at 9, as it did every Saturday, and she reached over quickly to turn it off. She was much too tired to get up right then. She rolled over on her side, flinging a hand to the other side of the bed. When she did, it hit something hard and warm. Her eyes quickly fluttered open and she swiveled her head so she could see whatever, or rather whoever, lay next to her. Her eyes widened in horror when she saw David sleeping peacefully next to her and the memories from last night came flooding back. She said a silent prayer before lifting the covers and cursing when she saw that they were both naked underneath the sheets.
"What the hell did I do?" She mumbled, drawing the sheets around her body and pulling them off of David, who stirred but didn't wake up. That was a stupid question, she settled. It was pretty obvious what they did; she just couldn't believe it.
She carefully let her legs fall down onto the cold floor, standing up and taking the sheets with her. If she could just get to the bathroom without him waking up, she thought, maybe he would be gone by the time she got out of the shower. Maybe, just maybe, they could pretend like it never happened. However to her dismay, she stepped on a creaky board and the noise roused David from his light sleep.
"What the hell?" He mumbled groggily, opening his eyes to find a half naked Regina sneaking across the room with a shamed look on her face. "Oh," he said once he realized what had happened.
"Look," she began reluctantly. She had never had to face this situation before. With Graham, it was given that he would come back that night or the next. He didn't have a heart so he couldn't really care much about what she did or said the morning after. She found this startlingly harder than she expected. "Let's skip the awkward part. I'm going to go take a shower and when I get out, you'll be gone."
"Ok," he breathed, still becoming accustomed to the light streaming through the windows and began processing her words. "Wait!"
She grudgingly turned around. "Have you seen my clothes?"
"Check under the bed," she said before turning around and walking into the bathroom, shutting the door and locking it behind her. Once she was on the other side, the weight of the situation hit her and she felt tears pool in her dark eyes.
This had possibly ruined their friendship, and she would never admit it, but she needed David. She didn't know what she would do if a wedge was driven between them because of this. She let the sheets fall from around her body, retrieving a towel and rag from the cabinet, and turned the water on, stepping into the warm shower.
With the water falling over her body, mixing with her salty tears, all she could think was what have I done?
•••
As Regina had requested, David was out of the house when she stepped from the bathroom. She breathed a sigh of relief and went to get dressed. The phone rang suddenly and she walked across the room in her towel to answer.
"Hello," she said, sitting down on her bed.
"Hey Mom!" Henry's cheery voice came in from the other side of the receiver and Regina's face brightened with a smile.
"How's my little boy this morning?"
"I'm good."
"Is something wrong dear?" She asked, concern clear in her voice. He never called her without a reason and usually it was because something was wrong.
"Oh, no. Everything's fine! I was wondering if we could maybe have lunch together today?" The hope in his voice could be heard clearly by Regina, who if possible, smiled even wider.
"Of course! You want me to come pick you up or…"
"It's okay. I'll have mom drop me by. Is noon good?"
"It's perfect, sweetheart. See you soon!"
"Bye. Love you."
"I love you too," she hung up the phone, glancing at the clock. It was ten so, she concluded, she had plenty of time to get ready. With a satisfied sigh, she stood up and went on her way to prepare.
•••
"Hey Mom!" Henry greeted Regina, walking up to the booth and sliding into the seat across from her.
"Hello Henry," she replied with a sweet smile. "Did Emma drop you off?"
"Yeah but we decided to walk…why?" He asked in confusion when Regina's face looked relieved.
"Stay here and order your food. I already ordered. I'll be right back," she told him and didn't wait for a response before dashing off and out the door in hopes of catching the blonde.
"Miss Swan!" Regina called and to her joy, Emma turned around. She quickly walked up to her.
"Hey, Regina…" Emma said warily. "Did you need something?"
"Yes, actually. I need your help with something," she said, a bit out of breath.
"Really? I thought you would still be mad about the wine thing," Emma said and cringed when she saw anger flash through Regina's dark eyes. It was Emma's fault that her and David had even slept together in the first place. If it hadn't been for that wine, they wouldn't be in this mess.
"For your sake, I would refrain from mentioning the wine, okay?" Emma nodded quickly. Over the years, Emma had learned how to decipher Regina's 'looks.' This one, for instance, was a you-better-not-piss-me-off-or-you'll-be-popping-your-shoulder-back-into-socket look.
"I have a question. A hypothetical one," she began, not completely sure about this but continuing anyways.
"Okay what is it?"
"Hypothetically, if you sleep with someone but you realize it was a mistake and then you're stuck in this situation, hypothetically of course, where you're afraid that you could ruin your friendship with this person and every time you see them, you know it's going to awkward. How do you deal with that? Hypothetically."
"You must really think I'm an idiot," Emma said, chuckling slightly at the flustered look on Regina's face.
"I was counting on it actually," she confessed and Emma shot her a glare.
"First off, I know it's not a hypothetical question. And second. I know you slept with David." Regina's eyes widened and her face turned pale.
"What? No, no- I-I didn't. I just…um…" Regina stammered and she felt her knees growing weak. When Emma shot her a knowing look, she sighed in defeat. "How the hell did you know?"
"Well, since I knew you were asking for yourself and not hypothetically, I knew it was David because he is your only friend."
"He is not! I have plenty of friends."
"You mean like the friend that's locked in the cellar? Because Maleficent doesn't count."
"Oh, just shut up. Besides, it's your damn fault! You shouldn't have given me that wine in the first place!"
"Do you want me to answer your question or are you just going to place blame?" Emma asked, wringing her hands.
"Fine. But, wait, you're not upset? That I slept with David, I mean."
"No, not really. I knew it was inevitable. All the time you spent with one another considered. He's been like a walking corpse, except for when he's around you. He's happy and if it makes him happy and you less of a bitch then why the hell not."
"I'm going to oh so kindly ignore the fact that you just called me bitchy," Regina said, but in reality, her heart was growing warm from all of the things Emma said. Did she really make David that happy? "Please, Miss Swan. My son is waiting on me. Any day now please."
"Fine. I've been in this situation before. It's awkward but like everything else in life, it will pass."
"So that's it? Just wait it out?"
"Yeah. Chances are that you're going to try and do something stupid that you think will help the situation and, in reality, will either make it more awkward or put you two back in bed together. Best bet is to leave things how they are."
"Well, thank you, Miss Swan. I do appreciate it," she thanked Emma before turning around to walk back into the diner.
"Anytime Madame Mayor," the blonde called back and laughed lightly. She couldn't believe the all-knowing Regina Mills had just come to her on something as simple as boy advice.
•••
"Mom, are you okay?" Henry asked her, pulling her gaze away from her barely-eaten Caesar salad.
"I'm fine. Why do you ask?" She replied, trying to act as normal as possible.
"You just seem…different," he said. He took a bite of his cheeseburger.
"I'm fine, sweetie," she reassured him.
"Hey look! It's David!" Henry exclaimed, looking toward the door where, sure enough, David had just walked in, in search of la unch.
"It sure is but I'm sure he doesn't want to…" She was interrupted by Henry calling David's name and beckoning for him to come over. "Oh great," she muttered under her breath.
"Hey guys," he greeted them, making sure not to stare at Regina for too long.
"Come eat lunch with us!" Henry exclaimed, scooting over in his booth, making room for him.
"Oh, I wouldn't want to intrude on your lunch," he said, glancing at Regina who seemed to be undergoing an internal conflict before she sighed.
"You wouldn't be intruding," she grumbled, suddenly very interested in a piece of lettuce.
"Are you sure? Because…"
"Just sit down David!" Regina snapped at him. He looked at her once more before taking a seat next to Henry.
"So how are you guys?" He asked, trying to make friendly conversation.
"Good," Henry said, a tad confused at why there was such an awkward tension in the air. His mom and David usually loved to hang out… or do whatever it was that grownups do.
"I'm…fine," Regina replied, choosing her words carefully. "And you?"
"I'm…great," he said uneasily, beckoning Ruby over to them and ordering a coke and large fry. "How's school Henry?"
"Good. We are having the science fair next week though and I haven't even started on my project!" He complained, popping a fry into his mouth.
"Oh, really?" Regina spoke up. "Why is this the first I'm hearing of this?"
"Well, I told Emma…" He said, soon realizing his mistake.
"And what, exactly, did that accomplish?" She asked, knowing well that Miss Swan would most likely never help Henry with his project or do it for him in one of her childlike splurges that she goes on often and give him the credit.
"Nothing," he admitted. He knew Emma wouldn't make him do it. That's partially why he told her and not Regina. He glanced up from his food to see Ruby bringing David his fries. "I do know what I'm doing it on though!"
"And what's that?" David asked, picking up a greasy fry and eating it.
"The effect of music on plant growth," he said proudly, beaming up at them for his clever idea.
"We'll run by the store on the way home and get the supplies," Regina told him, asking Ruby for their check.
"Ruby, just put theirs on mine," David said.
"No, Ruby, put Henry's and mine on a separate ticket, please," Regina said sternly, glaring at David. Ruby rolled her eyes at them before marching off to get the tickets. "I didn't invite you to eat lunch with us only to have you pay for our food."
"I don't mind," he protested.
"That is not the point. And I don't care to discuss it anymore," she informed him and he shrank in his seat like a sat puppy. Henry tried to refrain from giggling but failed. "Henry!" Regina scolded but couldn't be too mad at the boy.
"It's okay, Gina," David said. Regina felt a pang in her chest when he called her that. Gina. Daniel use to call her that. She had never noticed that he called her that before. But she definitely did now and it made her feel a mixture of warmth and sadness all at the same time. She contemplated asking him not to call her that but she didn't. It would start up a whole discussion that she didn't feel like discussing. He would ask her questions that she didn't have the answers to. Or, rather, she didn't want to give him the answers. So instead, she settled for giving him a small smile. He smiled back and she knew right then that she didn't mind him calling her that.
Then, as if a bolt of lightning coursed through her body, a thought came to her. A realization. She knew that what she felt for him was more than enemies or acquaintances. It was stronger than friendship. And it was much more powerful than a one-night stand. She had feelings for him; actual feelings that she never would have imagined she could possibly have for the David Nolan, of all people. She suddenly felt herself become sick and excused herself from the table, walking to the bathroom and locking the door behind her. She leaned back against the door and closed her eyes.
And it was then, there in that bathroom in Granny's diner, that she realized why she had put walls around her heart in the first place. Everything came flooding back to her: the heartbreak, crying herself to sleep every night, the loneliness, the loss. But also the good parts.
And it was then that she also realized how much harm the walls had caused her. She had never been able to experience these warm feelings. Or happiness or embarrassment, or even the shame that came with having a one-night stand. She had missed out on all of it. She had never been able to open up. She had never been able to fall in love again. And she hated the walls for that.
She hated herself for that.
I enjoyed writing this one. I like writing her thoughts probably more than anything. Let me know what you think.
I only got one review last chapter): soooo…Review Review Review!
Plus school starts back so I might not have a lot of time to update! Sorry(:
Until next time(:
