A/N- Tis the season to remember why you go to college half a country away from your family. Thank you for the reads/ reviews, they made my day of travel so much sweeter! I wrote you a haiku which encompasses my essence for today-
'One final paper
please just finish the damn thing
then you breathe again'
...
"When you find real love — protect and preserve the sweetness and intimacy of your gift."
― Bryant McGill, Simple Reminders: Inspiration for Living Your Best Life
...
The first time that Regina doesn't look over her shoulder is about a year after that. It's been just under two years since she moved to Storybrooke with Daniel, over a year since their divorce was final, and about five months since she started officially dating Emma Swan.
The blonde had been kind to a fault, after the divorce she had wanted to badly not to pressure Regina into another relationship or take advantage of her when she was in a fragile place. But Regina was anything but fragile. She had tried to wait patiently for Emma to ask her on a date properly, but after two months of ambiguously platonic cuddling, regular dinners, and spending nearly all their free time together, Regina took things into her own hands.
Thursday night sleepovers had become a part of their schedule so regularly that Regina had a set of work clothes at Emma's for the express purpose of wearing them on Friday to the office. On one Thursday after they had finished cleaning up and they were curled beneath the covers, Emma spooning Regina from behind, Regina made her move.
She had turned in the embrace and looked deep into the blonde's eyes. Without saying anything at all, she reached out to push some hair behind Emma's ear, her hand stayed cupping the sheriff's face as she then leant in and pressed her lips against Emma's in the softest whisper of a kiss.
When she had pulled back, Emma had the dopiest serene smile on her face. From there on, their courtship had been nothing but smooth. Regina revels in the ease of it all, enjoying the honeymoon phase of their new relationship.
Daniel is practically non-existent as he stays away from his ex-wife for the most part until one Sunday Regina is walking down Main Street with Emma and Henry. The small boy is between the two women, each holding one of his hands, and every few steps he commands, 'up!' and they lift him off the ground for a step.
Daniel is walking the opposite direction briskly when he recognizes the brunette just outside of the diner.
"Is this why you left? So you could play house with some dy-"
"Regina, can you take Henry into the dinner?" Emma cuts him off. She doesn't need her son to hear whatever insult the man is about to fling at her or Regina.
"Emma, you don't have to deal with this." Regina tries to protest, the blonde has already done so much, it isn't fair that she still have to protect Regina from this man.
"Gina." Emma says softly, searching the brunette's gaze, "Take Henry for a cocoa, I'll be there in a second."
Regina finally gives in, taking the boy's hand and leading him away from the sidewalk and up the steps of the dinner. She holds the door open for the boy and shoots a glance over her shoulder long enough to see Emma with rage boiling beneath her glare, staring Daniel down. She doesn't hear all of Emma's initial warning, but she does catch the very beginning.
"If you come anywhere near my family again, I swear that broken nose I gave you will look like child's play. You insult Regina like that ever again, and you will live to regret it-"
The brunette does not get to hear the tail end of the threat as the door swings shut and Henry is tugging her towards the counter. They order cocoa and only have to wait a few more minutes until Emma joins them inside.
The first thing she says as she slides into the booth across from them is, "How do you feel about Phoenix?"
"Arizona?"
"Yeah."
Regina is completely flabbergasted, "I honestly haven't an opinion, why?"
"Because I'd recomend you don't visit."
"Emma?"
The blonde finally lets a wolfish smile overtake her features, "Daniel's company is starting a new project out there. He leaves in two days."
Suddenly the phone calls that Emma had been making a few days earlier made sense, she had been asking Regina some odd questions about Daniel's employer.
"You didn't-"
"I'm in the mood for pancakes." Emma cuts her off with a glint in her eyes, "Want to split a stack with me?"
"I want pancakes." Henry volunteered from beside Regina, completely oblivious to the argument that had occurred outside.
"Then it's settled." Emma decided, "We'll get a stack of pancakes to split, and agree never to roadtrip to Arizona."
Though Regina is slightly dumbfounded for the rest of their impromptu snack, she can't find it in herself to be even the slightest bit mad at Emma. When Monday rolls around, and Regina watches Daniel drive out of town for good, she can't help but breathe a sigh of relief. She skips her morning city council meeting, drives to the sheriff's station, finds Emma, and nearly sprints to her desk.
"Regina?" Emma barely has time to ask before she is being tugged up to her feet and her mouth is covered by the brunette's in a bruising kiss.
When Regina pulls back, the deputy sheriff is completely breathless, "Thank you, Emma."
A wolf-whistle from the far end of the room raises a bright blush on Regina's face as she realizes that LeRoy has been in a holding cell and witnessed the entire exchange.
A/N- Alright, so I couldn't resist just a bit of angst, and now Regina has closure! By popular request, Swan queen sexy times will be coming soon, I pinky promise