At 6 o'clock Emma sat in her idling car -as she waited for Regina- just a few houses down from the Mills manor.
Emma was happy to see Regina walking down the side walk not to long after 6pm. Emma couldn't help but stare at Regina was she walked closer and closer to the car. A red dress with a tight bust and sweetheart neckline that flared out at the tight and somewhat revealing waistline. Regina was a site for Emma to take in, a beauty Emma couldn't fully understand and one she definitely couldn't describe. As Regina came up to the front of the car Emma smiled as she noted the sky-high heals that accompanied Regina's long legs and beautiful dress.
"I thought I said nothing flashy." Emma joked as Regina opened the passenger door.
"Look who's talking." Regina laughed as she sat down into the low riding car. "A button up, nice slacks," Regina smiled as she took in Emma's appearance. She really did scrub up quite well. "Suspenders… and a tie?" Regina shook her head with a small laugh, it was odd to see Emma dressed so well, the only natural part of it was the colour scheme: black and white.
"Well tonight is a special night, I suppose." Emma shrugged.
"The beginning of your life." Regina said knowingly.
"Well, a new chapter, a chance for change." Emma affirmed. "And well," Emma's awkward shift in her seat didn't go unnoticed. "You-"
"Me?" Regina asked, curious as to why Emma had become so quickly flustered.
"We've spent a lot of time together, and clearly this is something." Emma made an awkward hand gesture between them. "And I-" Emma took a deep breath in and slowly exhaled as she court Regina's deep brown eyes. "I love you." Emma swallowed hard as she waited for a response, she had never said that to anyone before.
Regina smiled. "I love you too, Em." Regina had known she did for a while now but god it was nice to say it aloud.
"Will you go steady with me?" Emma quickly asked with a large smile on her face.
"Yes, Em. Yes!" Regina grinned as she bent in to kiss her girlfriend's lips.
Emma happily kissed Regina back, it was a quick but passionate kiss. Emma was the one to pull away first. "Ready?" She asked. After getting a simple nodded from Regina she easier put the car into drive and pulled off of the curb.
…
Regina had expected the Barn to be an old rusting farm shed that the greasers had decorated with a few old couches and a table that was considered to be a bar. Oh how wrong she was.
The Barn was a large and newly restored barn. Perhaps it were an old horse stable Regina thought: it was large with a peeked roof and a veranda that would have been used for saddling the horses outside. The inside was just as grand; a wooden floor to match the walls and roof, a large floor space near what appeared to be a stage and seating around the edge. Regina could even smell food which tipped her off to the fact that there was a kitchen somewhere in the back.
"Wow," was all Regina could muster after she had taken into the Barn.
Emma laughed. "You were expecting the worst, weren't you?"
Regina laughed a little. "Possibly." She smirked.
"Nuh," Emma lightly up her hands up in defense. "Bobby Michael takes good care of this place." Emma said with a soft smile as she too took in the Barn, it truly was a great place and she was sure she'd miss it dearly.
"Bobby Michael?"
"Oh." Emma nodded, Regina had no clue who that was. "He owns this place, used to be a horse ranch before it went out of business at the beginning of the war."
Regina smiled to herself, she was right- an old horse stable. "Why'd he convert it into a hangout for teenagers?" Regina thought that the gesture was kind but it was an odd thing for someone to do just out of the kindness of their heart she thought.
"Actually, people of all ages come here." Emma corrected. "He is a great man, a community guy."
"Well, it beautiful." Regina smiled before grabbing Emma's arm and dragging her to the dance floor where other graduates were already dancing up a storm.
"Em!" Regina and Emma both turned to the loud eruption of Emma's name. Ruby was wading through the crowd towards them with a smile. "How'd it go with your mother?" Ruby quipped before engulfing both Emma and Regina into a hug.
Emma laughed. "Good." She pressed, "As always." Emma teased, because of course Ruby already knew that.
"Good, because I was worried." Ruby joked as she pulled away from the hug.
"Graham!" Emma called cross the room with a raised hand.
"Hey!" He called back as he too waded through the crowd of dancing graduates. "Never seen this place so poppin'." Graham noted, this place was usually more laid back- relaxed with good music- but tonight it was a true party. A celebration.
"It's great!" Regina pointed out.
"Too true!" Emma nodded as captured Regina's hands and started to dance.
For a short while the music playing through the speakers seemed to capture Emma and Regina. It was as if the two were alone, not another soul in sight.
"Hey, Regina, where'd you go?" Emma softly questioned under the roar of the crowd.
"Huh?" Regina asked, her attention still elsewhere.
"You're eyeballin' the room like it's gonna eat you for supper."
"I'm not." Regina weakly defended.
"Hey," Emma cooed as she lent in a little closer to Regina.
"Don't." Regina awkwardly moved away from Emma's advance. All Emma needed to do to get an explanation was to give Regina a quizzical look. "People can see us, Em. I don't want any trouble tonight."
"Oh," Emma nodded, of course! Regina was unconformable with the PDA. Emma looked down to their intertwined fingers. "People here, they would just assume we're friends. Look around." Emma nodded towards a couple of other girls are were close and dancing with other girls. "It's a sign of friendship with us." Emma assured softly.
Regina's lip curled. "I don't know."
"It's okay." Emma smiled as she let Regina's hands go and began to move her body to the music. Emma didn't touch Regina but she would stay as close as she could- always keeping eye contact.
Regina mouthed a small thanks to Emma before she started to move to the fastening beat.
…
Later in the night some of the local bands had begun to play and little didn't Regina know, Emma had planned earlier in the night, with a local legend, to play a song she had written. For Regina, Emma getting up on stage was more than a surprise- to Ruby and Graham too.
"Hi," Emma smiled softly as she finally reached the microphone on the stage. Emma looked back to the band behind her. "Dick .D, thanks for the encouragement. Graduating is the beginning of our adult lives, and I truly encourage you all to live fearlessly- as that's what I am doing now." They all nodded and smiled but Regina hadn't a clue what they had said as she was too far away to hear them without microphones.
The drums started to play and soon enough the guitars and bass kicked in as well. "This on goes out to the man." Emma took a deep breath. "Freedom!"
The music was rock and roll with rustic surf style seeping through the cracks. Regina was enjoying it, she was enjoying herself which was unexpected because for her whole life she had been told rock and roll was the devil's music.
Emma groaned firmly into the mic before the lyrics to her song began to fill the air.
"You hate us all
but I will not fall
I will stand my ground
never sellin' my soul"
Regina was in complete aw of Emma's bravery to get up on stage and sing. Regina had been sent to singing lessons as a child and she could even play a few Beethoven songs on piano but even with her skill set she would never preform for others.
"Dark, black and cold
this storms been brewin'
and before too long
and before I'm old
the rain will start to fall
Can't you see
even with the lights out
you should know this is
your destiny
I can see the clouds
in your blackening eyes
thunder cracks
people escaping to underground
The storm is coming
get out while you can
you better start running
before the rain starts pouring
and the skies start to roar
you hate us all
but I will not fall."
Emma's singing voice was rather low, husky even. Regina found it incredibly sexy. She found Emma's combination of lyrics and gravel like voice the perfect match.
"And the rain falls
and the lightning flashes
I will stand tall
You lash out
but you don't scare me
because I'm a solider
of the night
The rumblings coming
from over the hills
you better go now
forget the thrills
Dark and raining skies
are my kind of fight
you don't scare me,"
And with the last night, the last few seconds of the song Emma caught Regina's eyes and held the gaze tightly.
"Cause I know where to find the light."
Regina's smile reached her eyes as she knew exactly what Emma was saying. The crowd of students cheered and clapped as Emma awkwardly bowed. Ruby and Graham had to do a double take, both of them stood in shock silence for a while.
Emma's shoulders relaxed. "Thanks guys, glad you enjoyed it."
"Yeah, screw the man!" a voice yelled from somewhere in the crowd.
"My thoughts exactly." Emma smiled as she turned back to the band behind her. "Thanks again guys. Dick .D," Emma nodded, not needed to say another word for him to understand. With that Emma was quick to jump from the meter high stage and wade towards her friends.
"Surprising turn of events." Ruby shoved Emma playfully when Emma got close enough.
"Truly a great song, great voice too." Regina smirked as she lightly brushed Emma's arm.
"What else is Emma Swan hiding?" Graham looked at Emma with big straining eyes.
Emma laughed a little. "So many things." And with that Emma started to shimmy a little. "Can even dance."
"No," Ruby put her hand on Emma's shoulder. "No." She repeated with a smirk.
"Swan," Came a deep voice from the person in question. "Glad you finally decided to get up there." It was a calming voice.
Emma turned to find nobody but, "Bobby damn Michael." Emma said as she firmly shook the man's hand.
"Swan, you've got a future. Go out and get it." In most ways Bobby Michael had been like a father to Emma, so he encouraged her freedom and growth.
"You know I will." Emma smiled, she'd miss Bobby when she left.
"Gonna miss you, kid." Bobby smiled faintly- It matched his faint blue eyes. "And where are my manners?" He chucked as he noticed Regina. "Haven't see you around before. I'm Bobby, Barn owner and music enthusiast."
"Regina Mills." She put her hand out and shook Bobby's dry and rough hand. "I've heard you're a great man."
"And I you." He smiled. "Now, you two," Bobby's attention quickly moved to Ruby and Graham.
Emma and Regina stood surrounded by dancing students yet they left as though they were the other two in the world.
"Come sit with me?" Emma gestured towards an empty couch off to the side of the dance floor.
Regina sat slowly and with poise. Her legs crossed and her hands neatly in her lap. Emma was the complete opposite to Regina in most ways and there was no exception here. Emma just flopped down onto the couch. Her legs spread and hands splayed across her thighs.
"I didn't know you could sing." Regina softly mentioned.
"Not something I like to share." Emma sighed. "My writing is so personal, so my singing became personal as well. A crowd like this," Emma flung her hand towards the crowd just a little ways from them. "The fear that holds all my fears together."
"Oh," Regina nodded- she understood having fears but it was still lost on her as to why Emma hadn't at least mentioned it.
"It bothers you doesn't it?"
"What does?" Regina pretended obliviousness.
"That I didn't tell you." Emma deadpanned. "It wasn't a 'you' thing, it was a 'general people' thing. But I'm sorry." Mary-Margret was right, Emma truly was growing up.
Regina shifted closer to Emma. "I understand." She couldn't hold it against Emma. "You're great." Regina added with a smile to lighten the mood.
"Thank you." Emma blushed. "I love you." Emma whispered as she brushed her girlfriend's hand.
"I love you too, Em."