"So, everything was really fine while I was gone?" Emma asked, licking the whipped cream off the end of her straw, ungraciously, as she looked at her mother sitting across the table at Granny's.
"Who taught you your table manners?" Snow asked, and Emma could tell she was trying to scold her, while stifling a small laugh.
"My dad," Emma replied, dropping the straw back into the now empty glass. "When the milkshake is gone, the whipped cream won't go through the straw. You gotta scoop it up like that. And also, you didn't answer the question."
"I did, in fact, the last three hundred times you asked. Everything was fine."
Emma had only been home a few hours, and to her great relief, Seth had gone to play video games with friends - the first time he'd gone anywhere but school since the accident - and Emma and Snow had gone out for dinner. And she had been pestering her mother, but only to avoid her mother's questions about how the night away, alone with Regina, had been.
Of course, Snow didn't refer to it that way, but to Emma, the memory of the registrar at the college felt like a million years ago, and the entire trip, in her mind, was a night away with Regina.
"You know, that's the first time you've casually mentioned your dad, since…" Snow's voice trailed off, and Emma nodded.
"Yeah," she said, as her eyes dropped down to the straw in her hand again. Truthfully, her mind had been racing with thoughts about Regina all day, and her dad had barely crossed her mind. Momentarily, she'd forgotten he was even in the hospital, and she felt a knot forming in her stomach. She needed to change the subject, fast. "We didn't end up staying in a hotel."
Snow furrowed her brow, confused for a moment. "You… what?" she said, finally.
Emma shrugged. "Regina and me. We didn't get a hotel for the night. She has a friend in Boston and we stayed there."
"Oh," Snow responded, the surprise evident in her voice. "Why didn't she mention that before you went?"
"She didn't know she was there. We just ran into her, like completely by surprise. Turns out, her daughter was gonna be my roommate at the dorm. Lily. She's nice. What are the odds though?"
"Small world," Snow agreed, and if she noticed that Emma was talking fast and avoiding her eyes, she didn't let on.
"Yeah. So we ran into them at the registrar, and Mal - Regina's friend - invited us to stay there for the night."
"Well, it must have been nice for them to catch up. And it must have been nice for you to have someone to hang out with. Lily, I mean."
Emma nodded quickly. "Yeah, she's cool. We probably would have been good friends. Oh, and she's gay." It was a lie, as far as Emma knew, but she suddenly felt the need to gauge her mother's reaction, as it occurred to her she had no idea what her opinion on the subject would be.
"Oh. Good for her."
Emma looked up and smiled. "Yeah, she's dating a woman, but… she's afraid to tell her mom because there's an age difference."
Snow's eyebrows shot up a little in surprise. "A big one?"
Emma shrugged. "I dunno. But she's an adult, right? And can make her own choices."
"Why are you telling me this?"
Emma shrugged. "It's just been on my mind," Emma said, her eyes dropping to her empty glass again. "She thinks her mom would be mad, and judgmental, and stuff."
"I'm sure she'd just be worried for her daughter."
"I guess." Before Emma could delve into the conversation any further, they were interrupted by a young man in khakis and a white polo shirt approaching their booth.
"Hey, Emma."
"Hey, Dylan," Emma muttered, barely glancing at him. He'd been in some of her classes in high school, and she'd always known he liked her. She'd hoped she'd never have to deal with him after they graduated, but he'd gone back for a victory lap - like most of her classmates had - and had never left town. Despite her best efforts to avoid him, he still popped up at the most inopportune times.
"How are you?"
Emma's eyes widened in annoyance. "I'm trying to have a conversation with my mother, if you don't mind."
"Emma!" Snow gasped. "Don't be so rude. Why don't you join us, Dylan?"
Emma wished she could disappear on the spot.
"Sorry, I can't Mrs. Nolan. I have soccer, but I just wanted to stop by and say hi. You know…"
Emma felt that sick feeling coming back. This is how people were these days; they always felt so compelled to stop by and talk to her, because they knew about the accident. On one hand, she knew she should be grateful, but on the other, she was so tired of having everyone remind her all the time.
"Well thank you," Snow said, with a sweet smile. "We appreciate it. Don't we, Emma?"
"Yeah," Emma muttered.
"Okay, well I better run," Dylan moved to step away from the booth, but seemingly reconsidered. "Oh, hey Emma, some of us are getting together later tonight, just like, a casual thing, if you want to come?"
"Oh, I don't-"
"She'd love to," Snow cut her off.
"What?" Emma said, her eyes snapping up to her mother's face, but Snow was still smiling up at Dylan.
"Okay, well, it's a date, then. I'll come pick you up later then, around eight?"
Snow nodded, and continued smiling at Dylan as he waved and headed toward the door. When he was gone, her eyes turned back to her daughter, who was still looking at her with an expression of betrayal. "Don't even start," Snow said, as Emma opened her mouth. "It would be good for you to get out and spend time with people your own age."
"I don't like those people," Emma replied, her voice low because she knew her mother would hate her making a scene.
"They're your friends."
"They're not!"
"Emma, enough. Spend a couple hours with your friends. You need it. You spend all your time with me, and Seth, or at the hospital. Or with Regina."
"Is that a problem? That I spend time with Regina?" Emma knew she shouldn't press, but Regina was right, sometimes she just couldn't seem to help herself.
"It's not… a problem."
Snow seemed to be choosing her words carefully, and Emma knew that meant it was, in fact, a problem. "What is it, then?"
"It's just… she's an adult."
"I'm an adult," Emma retorted.
"Yes, so you keep reminding me. Incessantly. But Regina's not at the same point in her life that you are. You need to spend time with people your own age, sometimes."
Emma resisted the urge to pout, knowing it wouldn't help her case.
But what good was it to hang out with people her own age? She'd just spent time with someone her own age this weekend, and it didn't change the fact that the only person she wanted to spend time with was Regina. And Regina didn't seem to be bothered by their age difference.
Emma decided to chalk it up to her mother not being ready to accept that she really was an adult now. That had to be it. She wasn't ready for her first born to leave the nest.
She'd just have to find a way to adjust.
Regina's eyes snapped up as she heard the door to her office being thrust open. It was Sunday evening, so no one else was in the building besides the janitorial staff, and they knew better than to interrupt her.
But it wasn't one of the janitors barging in; it was Seth, looking frantic.
Regina sighed, and closed the file folder she'd had opened on her desk, pushing it to the side as Seth marched right up to her desk, as though he had every right in the world to be there.
"Can I help you?" Regina asked, unable to hide the annoyance in her voice. She didn't really want to be rude to Seth, since he was just a child, but he was a child who had a habit of interfering in her life these days, and she didn't need yet another barrier standing in the way of her life with Emma.
"It's Emma," Seth said, breathlessly, and Regina had to wonder if he'd run all the way here.
"What about Emma?"
"She's on a date."
Regina raised an eyebrow, not allowing even the slightest flash of surprise or jealousy wash across her face. "And you felt the need to inform me of this… why?"
"Because she's with Dylan."
Regina shook her head. She'd never been able to tell the teenagers in Storybrooke apart. "Who?"
Seth rolled his eyes, emphatically. "Dylan!" he said, again.
"I don't know who 'Dylan' is."
"Oh right. Yeah. You probably know him as Prince Micheal."
This time, Regina couldn't hide the shocked expression that crossed her face, but any fleeting feelings of jealousy were quickly replaced with concern. And now she knew for sure that Seth was awake again, somehow.
"You have to do something," Seth said, when Regina didn't respond.
"And what would you like me to do? If I remember correctly, you want me to stay away from your sister."
"I do, but…"
"But?"
"But she hates Prince Michael. She's scared of him. And she doesn't want to marry him."
Regina's face softened as she took in the genuine concern in Seth's eyes. "She doesn't remember him. He doesn't remember who he is. She'll be fine."
"How do you know?"
"Because that's how the curse works."
"But how do you know she'll be fine?"
Regina offered a small smile. "Because I'm not about to let her get involved with that little creep, no matter what realm we're in."
It didn't occur to Emma that perhaps one thirty in the morning was a little too late to be banging on Regina's door, until about thirty seconds after her fist had made contact with the wood. She chewed on her lip, part of her hoping that Regina was asleep and wouldn't wake up and would never know that she'd been here at all.
But a bigger part of her was relieved when she saw a light turn on in the entryway, and moments later, the door swung open to reveal Regina wearing a silky black robe and a look of utter concern on her face.
"Emma? It's past midnight; what are you doing here?"
Emma paused for a moment. What was she doing here? "Uh... can I come in?"
Regina nodded and took a step back, giving Emma room to enter. "What happened?"
"Uh…" Emma wasn't sure what to say.
"Emma?"
"I just… needed to see you."
"It's one thirty in the morning," Regina said, though to Emma's surprise, she didn't sound angry, or even annoyed.
"Yeah, I know, I… I don't know. I just needed to see you."
"Are you alright?" Regina asked.
"I don't know."
Emma jumped slightly when Regina reached out to touch her cheek, and it was the first she realized how on edge she really was.
"Did something happen tonight? When you were out with Dylan?"
Emma swallowed. "How did you know that?"
"Small town."
"Are you mad?"
Regina narrowed her eyes in confusion. "Why on earth would I be mad?"
Emma shrugged, deflated. "I dunno." She didn't exactly want Regina to be mad, but shouldn't she at least be jealous? Or didn't she care?
"Does your mother know where you are?"
"She thinks I'm spending the night at a friend's house."
Regina smiled. "Well, I guess you are," she said, taking Emma's hand and pulling her toward the stairs.
"You want me to sleep over?"
"Well, like I said, it's already one thirty, and you look like you need to talk," Regina stopped, turning back to meet Emma's eyes. "Unless you don't want to."
"No, I do. I do want to," Emma insisted.
"Good, come along then."
Emma felt her heart start to race as she followed Regina up the stairs. She didn't quite know what to expect, and she wasn't quite sure what had compelled her to come here in the first place. All she'd know was she needed to see Regina, and she wasn't going to be able to rest until she did.
"I have some yoga pants you can borrow to sleep in."
Regina's voice sounded far away as Emma found herself getting caught up taking in the sight of Regina's bedroom while she imagined what Regina would look like doing yoga on her back porch on a Sunday morning. She had no real reason to believe that was wear or when she'd do it, but it seemed right in Emma's mind.
"Emma?"
Emma shook her head quickly, snapping herself back to the present. "Yeah, yoga pants. Thanks. I'll just, uh…"
"Bathroom's right there," Regina pointed, as she handed the pants to Emma.
Emma scurried across the room to the en suite bathroom, and shimmied out of her jeans as quickly as she could. The fabric of Regina's yoga pants was smooth and exquisite, and Emma had to wonder if those pants alone cost more than her entire wardrobe at home. She could only assume they absolutely did.
She hesitated for a moment, staring at her reflection in the mirror, and then quickly slipped off her black bra from underneath her white tank top, dropping it on top of her jeans, which she'd dropped on the floor. She paused, glancing around at the immaculate bathroom she was standing in, and then picked the pile of clothes up, placing it on the edge of the counter instead.
She stepped back into Regina's bedroom just in time to watch Regina slip off her black robe, revealing a silky deep purple nightie with black lace accents around the bodice. Emma swallowed hard, feeling both underdressed and overdressed at the same time.
"Does this bother you? I can change," Regina offered, and Emma had to wonder just how dumbfounded her expression must have looked.
"Uh, no. I'm not bothered," Emma replied quickly.
Regina smiled, and Emma felt like her brain was about to short circuit. She watched Regina as she pulled back the duvet cover on her bed, and slid under the sheets, before turning to look at Emma expectantly.
"Unless you'd rather sleep in the guest bedroom?"
"Uh uh," Emma said, shaking her head as her feet sprang into action, and she made her way across the room, climbing into Regina's bed beside.
"That's my girl."
Emma breathed a sigh of relief as Regina wrapped her arms around her, pulling her close. For the first time in hours, she felt herself finally begin to relax as she nestled in close to Regina, breathing in the sweet smell of her skin.
"Tell me what happened tonight to get you so upset?" Regina asked, as she began tracing circles on Emma's back with her fingers.
"I'm not upset."
"Don't lie to me."
"I'm not, I'm just… I didn't want to hang out with Dylan tonight. I don't even like him."
"Why did you then?" Regina asked, and she sounded more interested than annoyed at the situation, slowly quelling Emma's fears that she was secretly mad about it.
Emma sighed. "He asked me to hang out and my mom said yes on my behalf."
"How inappropriate," Regina commented, and Emma heard a tinge of annoyance that time.
"Yeah. And so, Dylan came and picked me up and we went to the docks. There was supposed to be a group of people hanging out but there was no one else there."
Emma felt Regina tense up. "Emma, did something happen?"
"No," Emma replied quickly. "Nothing like you're probably thinking. But I didn't want to be there and I kept trying to leave. I told him I wanted to go home but he kept trying to kiss me, so finally I said I was just going to walk home. Then he called me a frigid bitch."
"What a charming young man."
Emma breathed out a small laugh. "Yeah."
"So did you walk home?"
"I was going to, but then some other people did show up, and I didn't want to tell my mom what happened, so I stayed. And I hated every second of it. Finally one of the girls was leaving, and she said she'd drive me home. She dropped me off at my place but I didn't go in. I just called my mom from outside and told her I was going to a friend's place, and then I just got in my car and started driving around."
"And then you came here."
Emma nodded. "Yeah. I just wanted to see you, I guess. I hope that's okay."
"Of course it is," Regina replied, leaning forward to press a warm kiss onto Emma's forehead.
Emma looked up, staring into Regina's eyes for a moment. There was something different about her now, and she couldn't quite put her finger on it. She seemed calmer than Emma had ever seen her, and yet she clung to her like she might vanish if she let go. Emma had always cherished her independence, but somehow, she didn't mind.
"My mom thinks I should be spending more time with people my own age," Emma said, a little tentatively.
"Does she now. What do you think?"
Emma shrugged a little. "I think I'd rather spend time with you."
Regina let out an amused hum. "And why is that?"
Emma felt herself blush. "I don't know."
"Sure you do."
"I guess…" Emma paused, trying to find the words. "I guess I just… feel better when I'm around you than when I'm not."
"Better?"
"Yeah, I dunno… like complete... or something. Is that stupid?"
Regina chuckled, and brought her hand up to Emma's cheek, cupping her face and looking her in the eyes. "Not at all."
And with that, Regina closed the small space between them, pressing a hard kiss into Emma's lips.
Emma felt her body melt as she kissed Regina back, as the rest of the world disappeared. Her night was long forgotten in an instant, and all that was left was her and Regina, and nothing else existed.
Still, she pulled back for just a moment, her lips barely an inch from Regina's.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Emma said, her voice breathier than she'd expected. "I'm not frigid."
"Darling, you have nothing to prove to me."
"I know," Emma agreed. "I just realized something."
"What's that?"
"That I've never been interested in anyone else because, I think… I think I've always been waiting for you."
Emma didn't give Regina a chance to respond as she kissed her again. Suddenly, her inexperience didn't matter, as she let her desire overtake her, and kissed Regina with a force that surprised even herself. She felt something awaken inside her then, and she knew she was right. Somewhere, deep inside her, she'd been waiting for Regina her entire life.