A/N: I gift you with happiness and joy this day. Breathe now, while you can.
Emma awoke slowly feeling warmth all around. She felt light. Not as if she might float away, but as if she was stronger; as if she was capable of breathing without the weight of her world crashing in on her. She felt comfort.
When she finally opened her eyes, it was only slightly surprising to Emma that her head was resting on the stomach of a sleeping Regina. Emma lifted her body and watched the Mayor shift uncomfortably against the edge of the couch. There was a slight pause before the woman began borrowing herself deeper as if the absence of Emma's weight left her looking for something. It made Emma grin as she admired Regina's rosy cheeks and the soft sigh that escaped her lips when she lifted herself off the couch gently.
On her feet and wandering towards the kitchen she was struck by the sight of the dining room chair she had broken across Regina's floor. Panic and shame filled Emma at destroying something of Regina's. Stooping, she examined what was left intact, and despite her best intentions, she knew there was no hope for the chair.
Picking the pieces up and collecting them all together, Emma brought them out back. Stacking them outside the door, she looked up at Regina's apple tree and paused as the image of two women sitting under a night's sky filled her mind.
Everything about the night, like the first, made her want to run, and scream, and grip control of the situation in any way possible. And yet, she was smiling at the image of friendship replaying in her mind. Tipping the scales between fear and belonging. Perhaps she had found someone. Found someone worth trusting.
Her first goal still in mind, Emma drifted towards the kitchen sliding her socked feet across the tiles as she explored the cupboards. It was almost 11 and Emma wasn't sure if she should make breakfast, or lunch, but decided to start with coffee and move forward from there.
It was odd, to move around the Mayor's —Regina's kitchen, while she was sleeping just in the next room. It was making Emma jittery. It also didn't help that the coffee maker was a jigsaw puzzle of options and timers, and temperatures.
Emma did her best, finding after enough button pushing that there was a preset mode and she set it up and watched eagerly as the warm liquid steamed into existence. After the maker stopped spitting out liquid Emma repeated the procedure and with a cup in each hand she shuffled back towards the living room.
She paused at the door. It was intimidating feeling so close to someone. Even though she had known Regina for months, she hadn't really known her at all, and becoming so close so fast was something Emma had always been wary of. She took a deep breath and shuffled her way back to the couch, setting one of the cups down as she seated herself at the tips of Regina's toes and shook her shoulder.
Regina exhaled before turning her head towards Emma and sitting up with a blush.
"I uh — here is some coffee" Emma gestured slowly.
Emma was so flustered all of the sudden that the languid calm that had floated over her since she had awoken broke and her mind finally caught up to the fact that the home, and everything in it, including the peacefulness that had overtaken her sanity, was all being given to her freely by the woman sitting in front of her yawning like a cat after a long nap.
Regina hummed softly, reaching and gripping the mug in both hands before bringing it to her lips and sipping it softly. She paused with it resting just against the edge of her chin and Emma was struck memorizing the fluttering eyelashes that followed deep blinking eyes. She couldn't help but let her eyes stray to a softly rounded nose, and she paused on Regina's deep closed lips that crept open with a soft purse of a pleasant taste. The tussled bumps of hair that wisped around the back of Regina's neck and against her cheek were equally distracting as they reached towards the collar of her blouse that was both tight and wrinkled and as Emma's gaze continued to wander —
"Well"
The word came out of Regina's mouth before she was able to completely formulate a thought and she realized that she felt slow in her movements, most likely out of drowsiness. She turned her head to face Emma as she lowered her cup, while still gripping it in both hands, and paused. Emma was avoiding eye contact and her cheeks were turning quite red.
Regina looked down at herself and back at Emma, and around the room. But she could find no reason for the odd look in Emma's eye and the panic that appeared to be creeping into the blonde.
Emma, on the other hand, was unable to come up with anything to say to Regina, she was so distracted by how un-intimidating and presently sweet the woman looked that she could feel her face filling with heat from staring at her for so long. She couldn't understand why she was so comfortable and she was also embarrassed for staring at Regina so blatantly, and simply put, she did not know what to do with herself.
"Thank you"
The words came out in a sudden blurt of thought and Regina jumped.
"Thank you as well" the response finally came.
"Regina, I really do mean it. I wish there was more than a thank you that I could give you because what you are doing for me is so much more and — I just really don't have the words, you know?"
Emma motioned all around before gripping the mug between her hands tightly and staring into the liquid there as if the steam was bringing her the words she needed.
"It really is my pleasure Emma"
Regina smiled through her words and there was an ease that resettled in their world space. Emma sighed softly, sinking into the couch and sipped slowly while Regina seemed to have fallen into an equally deep stupor of thought.
"I was planning on going into the office today. I have a few tasks to complete, though not so much that I will be gone more than an hour or two. I am sure you can easily entertain yourself here, or perhaps you would like to come?"
There was a hesitancy in Regina's tone and Emma wasn't sure if it meant Regina wanted her to come or not.
On one hand, Emma imagined she would go crazy in the house without Regina in it, as she wandered about afraid to touch or come to close to anything. On the other, she knew that Regina's patience would fall quickly at her constant need to shuffle about, and Emma didn't want to bother her too much.
"Maybe — I think I should probably stop by the station and make sure everything is still in order. There might not be a lot happening in Storybrooke but I don't want to overwhelm Sydney or neglect my duties. I wouldn't want anyone thinking I didn't value my position"
The end of her sentence came out teasingly and Regina huffed good-naturedly in response.
"Of course, Sheriff Swan"
The taunt came out of Regina's mouth before she could think ahead to how it might sound in their present domestic state and she sputtered at the sweetness in her tone which had so easily replaced her usual jeering malice before standing up and climbing the stairs without another word.
Emma was flustered by Regina's odd reactions. Where teasing and anger usual fell was now an overflowing space of warmth and kindness.
Eventually, Emma finished her coffee and after depositing it in the kitchen she followed Regina up the stairs, entering the spare room where some of her belongings were kept in a duffel bag. Switching into black skinny jeans and a deep red sweater Emma glanced are her red leather jacket before pulling on some socks and exiting the room.
She paused at the sound of water running before moving back down the stairs with a quietness that only a thief might use.
Sauntering into the kitchen Emma began opening and shutting cupboard doors with a complete disregard for what could easily be seen as an intrusion. Snooping about with contentment as she contemplated what she might be able to put together before Regina came down.
Settling on a few ingredients Emma went to work.
She heard Regina strutting across the dining room before she saw her, pausing before admiring the table, Emma grinned and sat down.
"What is that smell, Miss Swan?"
Regina had entered the room all business, dressed in a fine fitting pencil skirt with a white tucked blouse. Emma had heard the clicking noise even before seeing the heels on Regina's feet. Why she wore shoes in her own home, Emma would never know.
"I made you some lunch"
Emma gestured to the table before glancing between the food and Regina who seemed to be grimacing.
Regina sat down slowly, unsure of whether or not she should grin and bear whatever it was hidden under the peculiar set up of dishes, or excuse herself before she even found out.
Emma couldn't help letting out a laugh at Regina's uncertainty but was enjoying herself too much to put her at ease just yet.
Underneath the first lid, Emma unveiled an elaborate grilled cheese with bacon and peanut butter, all mushed together in-between two thick layers of bread. She grinned and almost burst out laughing when she looked back to Regina's face, who seemed to be ready to throw everything off of the table if it got her out of eating such a mess.
"And—" Emma drummed her hands on the table softly before exposing a very deceptive dish that to Regina's surprise held a very appetizing salad,
"Kale salad for the lady" Emma smiled as she reset the table with Regina's salad in front of her and her greasy creation right where it belonged: on her plate.
"I thought I was going to have to pretend to fall unconscious after the first bite, though I'm sure I might have anyway. I didn't know you were capable of navigating anything that didn't contain a fine layer of grease Miss Swan"
Regina was becoming more and more comfortable, leaning back in her chair and releasing the tension in her body now that she knew she was consuming something she could actually swallow, while still not having to hurt Emma's feelings.
With her hand pausing on its way to her mouth Regina almost dropped her fork. Since when did she care so much for Emma's feelings? Why was she so worried about someone she should despise? She didn't care for Emma, of course not, that would be insane.
Emma looked up at Regina mid-bite to find her hand cemented in the air. Perplexed Emma chewed slowly before sputtering out a soft "Regina?" Which came out with more emphasis on the 'g' then Emma intended and Regina's face flushed and contorted as the bite was shoved into her mouth without another word.
Emma searched Regina with questioning eyes before choosing instead to leave the woman alone after already having tested her patience with the dramatic unveiling.
"Should I drop you off at the station? Or would you prefer walking?"
Regina's business tone gave Emma pause, but she shrugged it off before swallowing.
"I guess you could just drop me off at the station. Is a kinda cold out and my bug is still parked there from before… so you won't need to pick me back up cause I will need it tomorrow anyway. I mean, Sydney may be willing to cover for me today, but I'm still the Sheriff"
Regina tried not to smirk at the defensive tone that grew as Emma spoke.
"Of course Miss Swan—"
"Stop saying that, it's weird"
Emma drew back quickly, stacking a few dishes and almost sprinting into the kitchen.
"What do you mean? Stop doing what?"
Regina stood perplexed before reaching for whatever was at hand and following Emma's stomping feet.
"Ugh come on Regina, the whole 'Miss Swan' thing is starting to drive me crazy. I am Emma, remember? I made you lunch? We fell asleep on a couch together? You don't have to use formalities when you're with friends"
Regina was dumbstruck at the sudden explosion of emotion,
"You thought — we're friends?"
Regina looked and felt almost as confused as when she had first met Emma, all seriousness and worry, and a look that reminded Emma a little bit of fear.
"I mean, it's not that crazy right?" Emma shook her head and tried to push away the loneliness that was creeping back in from all sides, masking her emotions easily before placing her dishes in the sink and continuing to tidy, stepping around a flabbergasted Regina.
"I suppose" Regina sputtered softly.
An uncomfortable silence spread over the room like a thick fog. What had Regina done now? She knew that all she wanted to do was be friends with this woman. Watching her move around her kitchen, Regina could feel the anger that always seemed to simmer at the base of her breath dissipate. She was so comfortable, and yet so terrified.
Emma would tear apart her happy ending. She came to Storybrooke to fix everything by exposing her, breaking her course and tearing everything, including the evil queen, to the ground.
But it seemed that so far, all Emma had done was start putting together all of Regina's damaged pieces. And Regina was certain that if she didn't stop what was happening now, that she would lose Henry, Emma, and the life she had built all in the same moment— and she didn't know if she would be able to come back from that, evil or not.