"I love you."
Regina smiled, opening her eyes she could just make out two large green eyes staring at her.
"Mmm." She replied, pulling her arm around the Sheriff- moving her closer. Emma placed her hand on Regina's cheek, slowly moving her thumb over the brunette's features.
'I mean it. I really do love you." She whispered. At this second declaration of affection, Regina rubbed her eyes and stared hazily at Emma who watched her intensely.
"And I love you." She replied, bringing her finger up to poke Emma's nose. The blonde smiled and pulled Regina into a nook under her chin as the two fell fast asleep.
Regina lay in the arms of the Savior, her Savior. She listened to Emma's slow, rhythmic breathing as she softly ran her fingers up and down the blonde's arm. How could she be this lucky? She thought of the time just after the curse broke, when everyone was out for her head, except Emma. Though some sliver of her must have wanted to join in the angry mob, she didn't. Out of a sense of duty, justice, and love- how… charming. Regina rolled her eyes and gave a small internal laugh. "How absurd," she thought, "me and a Charming." Her mind drifted to Snow. She had really been making an effort to befriend Regina, though Regina really didn't want to be friends. But it would make Emma happy, so Regina accepted casual lunch dates and walks in the park with slight reservation. By the third or fourth lunch date, Snow had stopped bringing her bow and arrow with her, being a protective mama bear. And all this time she thought David would fill the role of the overprotective parent, but he was surprisingly very easy going about the whole situation. He always offered to take Henry out if Regina and Emma needed time alone, or pick up extra shifts for Emma at the station. She thought of her own parents and how they would react. She shuddered at the thought. "I don't want to think about that, not now." She thought as her fingers continued to run up and down Emma's arm, circling around each freckle, smoothing each crease of skin. "This is the woman I'm going to marry." She whispered to herself. Emma stirred and Regina held her closer.
Emma and Henry sat at the kitchen counter with sleepy eyes and groggy mouths. Regina moved about the room making breakfast and talking about the schedule for the day. The Sheriff could barely pay attention to anything the woman was saying, she was too busy watching the brunette's body sway and move around the kitchen. She loved the way Regina would push her dark hair behind her ears, the way she'd bite her lip trying to remember a spice or herb to add to the meal, her cute little apron with a silver crown embroidered on the front, the way she'd brush Henry's head off the counter and place a mug of coffee in front of the now seventeen year old, how she'd flick her wrist after adding a dash of salt to the omelets, how she served everyone before serving herself.
"Are you listening, dear?" Emma snapped out of her thoughts and nodded at the brunette. Regina continued to talk as she added salt to her omelet, flicking her wrist. Emma smiled. After eating, Regina stood up promptly and began cleaning the kitchen as Henry shuffled upstairs with Emma behind him. She stopped and turned around watching the brunette scurry around the room, cleaning and nit picking every little detail of the room. How did she get so lucky? "This is the woman I'm going to marry." She whispered to herself.
Every Saturday, Emma meets her father at Granny's for lunch. David was already sitting in the booth with their drinks when in stumbled a rough-looking Sheriff Swan. David eyed his daughter and saw she was covered head-to-toe in dirt and grass stains.
"What happened to you?"
"Oh," Emma gave a little laugh and brushed off some dirt. Granny shot a disapproving glare her way, "I, uh… I was getting this cat out of a tree and I thought I saw Regina across the street and got distracted, lost my footing and fell."
David let out a huge laugh that filled the diner, "That happened once with me and your mother. Except she fell out of a tree thinking she saw a certain dashingly charming prince across the river." He said as he wiggled his eyebrows up and down.
"Ew. Can we not?" Emma said hastily. David smiled and flagged Ruby down to order. Ruby slid over to the table with a mysterious smile on her lips.
"Everything alright, Rubes?" Emma said looking up at her.
"Oh yes, everything's fine. How about you?"
"Fine. Just, you know, fell out of a tree." Ruby nodded with her smirk held firm.
"Okay seriously, what's with the smirk?" Ruby glanced over at David and then back at Emma.
"Well, during the full moon a couple nights ago I was out running and I thought I saw a naked Mayor and a naked Sheriff in the forest." Emma and David choked on their drinks at the same time.
"Ew, Ruby… can we not?" David said as he wiped his mouth. She laughed devilishly and sauntered back to the kitchen. She always got a kick out of throwing the sex life of Emma and Regina in front of David and Snow. She couldn't help but giggle at the way their eyes widened and faces scrunched up.
"Aaaanyway." Said Emma glancing back up at her father who gave her an extremely parental scolding with his eyes. "Sorry." She said shrugging her shoulders.
David sat back and smiled, "You look happy."
"Yeah? Well, I am. I really am."
"So, everything's going well with Regina?"
"Yeah, actually. Everything's amazing." Emma beamed. "More than amazing." Emma pressed her hands around her drink, scooting it around. "Actually, I was thinking of asking her to marry me." She braced for a wave of anger from her father, but to her surprise he lept to his feet and gave her a huge embrace.
"Oh my god, Emma that's wonderful news!" he said ecstatically.
"Yeah?"
"Yes!" David gave a huge signature Charming smile and scooted back to his side of the booth giving a big sigh.
"Thanks, dad. Really, this means a lot to me." Charming blushed, she didn't often call him, "dad" and he knew that when she did she was being sincere, and what she said was heart felt. "I was really worried about your reaction, and it's a huge relief to see that you're happy about it."
"Of course! You've been together for a while now, and I couldn't be more thrilled, but…" his voice trailed off. Emma noticed and her happy bubble burst immediately.
"But… what? She said shakily.
"Well, it's just… your mother."
"Oh."
"Yeah." The two drifted into silence, looking out the window.
Saturday afternoon became a regular walk in the park day for Regina and Snow. They had both started really enjoying the walks, though neither wanted to admit it. As time passed they were able to ease into a kind of limited friendship that exists between former arch nemeses. They initially began the Saturday walks to appease Emma, but they steadily grew accustomed to each other's company. The first couple Saturdays were spent in silence with a few passing comments, the next consisted of arguments, followed by a period of understanding- and from there began a new chapter in the life of the former queen and Snow White. As Emma was stumbling into the diner to meet her father, Regina and Snow settled on a bunch in the city park. They had found a topic they could both laugh about: Archie's impassioned speeches about the preservation of nocturnal insects of Storybrooke. As silence fell between the two, Regina decided it was time to break the news.
"Snow, there's something I've been meaning to discuss with you." Snow's ears perked up and her face dropped at the sudden change of tone in the Mayor's voice. "We are both from the old land where there are certain customs and laws that appear old-fashioned in this world." Snow's mind reeled, what could she be getting at? But after that sentence, Regina fell silent.
"Regina, what is it?" the mayor shifted a glance at her former nemesis.
"Like I was saying, we come from a land with old-fashioned customs, which is why I wanted to…"
"To?"
Regina stiffened and said in a very confident voice, "I would like to ask your permission to marry your daughter." At this, she turned facing Snow front on. Snow stared at her with her mouth open, then shifted her glance downwards and sat in silence. It seemed like the two sat in silence for eternity until Snow finally opened her mouth and mumbled, "If it's what Emma wants." Regina's heart soared. Snow looked up at the former queen and saw the joy in her eyes, she took Regina's hand in her own and said, "We've come a long way. I know Emma loves you… do you love her?"
"With every fiber of my being." Replied the mayor, tears coming to her eyes. Snow had never seen Regina so vulnerable and open- it was both a little unnerving and endearing. But it was just what Snow needed to see.
"You have my blessing." She nodded firmly. Regina sighed and laughed. She never thought she would be asking something like this, especially not to Snow. Regardless of her answer, Regina would still ask Emma, naturally, but her old world sensibilities required inquisition.
"I suppose it's good I didn't ask you while you had your bow and arrow."
Snow gave out an unexpectedly loud laugh at that comment. She gave Regina's hand another squeeze and the two women sat in silence once again.
"So, do you know how you want to ask her?" said Snow starting to feel the excitement for her daughter's happiness. Regina lifted an eyebrow and smiled.
"Okay, David, so the plan is to cover the room with red roses just like the one I gave her when we first started dating. "
"You called that dating?"
"Whatever." She jokingly punched her dad in the arm and continued explaining her plan.
"Covering the room in sunflowers? That's so romantic." Snow cooed. Regina couldn't help but feel a little disgusted by how gushy Snow had gotten- especially when referring to Regina as romantic. Sure it's romantic, but she didn't want Snow to say so.
"So, Em. When are you going to ask her?"
"Tonight." Emma gave a sheepish smile and blushed.
"Tonight." Said Regina suppressing a smile and trying to explain her plans in a business-like manner instead of buddy-buddy. Snow smiled wildly at her.
The bell chimed at the flower shop and the owner came hastily to the front.
"Madam Mayor!" said Belle excitedly. Since she and Emma had gotten together, Regina had become her most loyal customer. "Can I get you the usual?"
"Actually, dear, I was thinking something bigger." Belle internally jumped for joy. "I'm going to need a lot of sunflowers."
"A lot?"
"A lot."
Belle stood behind the register still processing how much money the Mayor had plucked down when Emma strolled into the shop.
"Emma!" Belle said with an all-knowing giant smile. She was waiting for Emma to come in any minute after Regina left. She found it almost creepy how similar they thought. "Can I get you the usual?"
"Actually, Belle, I'm thinkin' much, much bigger. I'mma need every red rose you have in the shop." Belle's smile widened as humanly possible.
Regina was halfway home when she realized she forgot to buy extra candles. She pulled a u-turn and came flying back the other direction. She wanted to beat Emma home and get everything set up. Just as she was leaning more into the gas pedal, a yellow VW bug shot by her, she and Emma locked eyes and their mouths open- both seeing that their cars were full to overflowing with flowers. Regina held her gaze a bit too long and her car went tumbling into a ditch.
She opened her eyes and could only see yellow and red blurs. Her head pounding. Her eyes finally focused and she noticed she was in the hospital. Every shelf, table, and inch of floor covered in bright yellow sunflowers and deep red roses- candles flickered around the space. She narrowed her gaze and found the Sheriff sitting at the foot of the bed in a hospital gown of her own, smiling brilliantly at her.
"Good morning, starshine." She smirked. Regina gave a small laugh at Emma's comment and sat up in the bed, holding her bandaged head.
"Wha-what happened?"
"You crashed, baby." Emma smiled. It was then that Regina focused on Emma's hospital gown.
"Oh my god, did you crash too?"
"You don't' recognize Old Faithful?" Emma said pulling at her gown. A while back after a particularly interesting evening with Regina she started referring to her old hospital gown as "Old Faithful." Regina smiled.
"The sunflowers."
"Salvaged from the wreck. After you, of course." The two women shared a laugh. Emma slid around the bed to sit next to Regina.
"Regina Mills, I love you."
"I love you."
"Forever and ever."
"Forever and ever." Regina repeated. Emma took the brunette's hands in hers and kissed her knuckles softly.
"Regina Mills, I can't imagine a world without you. Having you by my side is what completes me. I have spent my life searching for home, and when I wake up and see your beautiful face next to mine and feel your arms around me, I know I'm home. I am born in your eyes, I live for you, I love you because when you are near- the whole world is meaningful. I had been dreaming about you every night, but ever since we've been together I've never wanted to be awake more because you're right there. You are my dream." The most eloquent silence passed between them as Emma wiped a few tears from her cheeks reaching under her gown and pulling out a little box. She opened it and Regina's eyes filled with tears, "Regina Mills, will you marry me?" Regina pulled at Emma's gown and drew their lips together. "That better be a yes." Regina laughed and nodded her head stretching out her finger as Emma slid the band up her digit. They broke from kissing for a moment long enough for Regina to ask Emma to bring her purse. Opening it feverishly and sliding her hand around, the Mayor pulled out a little box of her own.
Taking in Emma's eyes she said, "Emma Swan. I never thought I would ever have another person in my life that I could love so full heartedly. I love every nook and cranny of your soul. You're so thoughtful you never let me go a day without reminding me that I am loved. Why do I love you? Because you are, and always have been, my dream. Will you marry me?" Regina opened her box and Emma launched at her. Her hands were shaking so hard that Regina barely managed to slide the ring up her finger. They slid into each other's arms and cried tears of joy into each other's hospital gowns.
"They both said 'yes'!" a nurse with her ear pressed against the door whispered behind her to the other dozen nurses and Dr. Whale eagerly waiting. Dr. Whale immediately reached for his phone and sent the news off to Ruby. After hearing about the crash, nearly every Storybrooke citizen heard about a suspected proposal and gathered at Granny's waiting for the news. Regina and Emma's relationship had turned into the town soap opera, and everyone was wishing for a happy ending. Ruby's phone rang and the room went silent. She read the message three times before shouting, "IT'S A YES!" The diner erupted in thunderous applause.