Stop Running

by girlsaremyfave

Sort of based on the song Chasin' You by Morgan Wallen. Regina Mills finds herself sitting in a bar while sipping on a drink she never indulges in, all the while telling her greatest love story to a bartender she has never met. Follow along with Regina as she dives into the past of feeling the emotions of falling in love for the first time and never getting past that one true love.

"Kathryn, I really don't want to stay here any longer." The brunette spoke loudly over the raised voices that were coming from around the bonfire. Glancing over, chocolate eyes landed on the large pile of wood, cardboard, and other miscellaneous things that were all burning. Bodies were circled around it, all watching it burn as they talked and drank whatever was in their red plastic cups.

Once again, petite fingers twisted the plastic cup around, staring down at the liquid that had yet to be touched by her. The dark night sky masked the color of the liquid that sloshed around the glass, causing the brunette's patience at the situation to continue fading. "Regina, you barely ever get out of the house!" Her best friend slurs, catching her attention from the drink in her hands. "Plus, I believe Robin is around here somewhere…"

Light blue eyes travel around the area, tracing every object as best as possible even though she is inebriated. The flames from the bonfire that is yards away reflect in those dilated and glassy blue eyes. Regina lets a deep sigh leave her chilled lips as she moves to tug her long-sleeved shirt down, trying to stay warm in the cool night air. Never having been out to one of the all-class bonfires, the brunette had no idea how to dress for such an occasion.

Looking up from her drink once again, brown eyes look over the people she has known from her childhood. Some leaning against their partners to stay upright, some dancing to the music being blasted from a pick-up truck, and some had decided that it was time to sit down in the chilled grass. "Kathryn!" A somewhat deep voice yells over the small crowd, gaining both of the women's' attention.

"Fred!" The blonde smiles brightly at the boy that was approaching them. Fred was dressed in dark jeans, a sweatshirt, and the school's letterman jacket he got from playing football earlier in the year. He stumbles slightly as he makes his way to the pair, a deep grin etched onto his features once he reaches them. "I have been looking everywhere for you." Her tone holds flirtation as her eyes try to scan all over his face.

"Well, here I am." His eyes trace all over the blonde's physique, never once noticing the brunette woman near them. Regina glances between the couple, feeling a sensation of uncomfortableness as they continue to just look each other over.

Silence fills the air, the couple not knowing what the other was going to do but waiting for a sign. Neither wanting to make the first move in this situation, but not wanting to ignore what could happen between them. "I am just going go get a new drink…" The brunette points towards the rows of coolers that line the field.

"Okay…" Kathryn says, her eyes never glancing in her direction, perfectly content at the current view she has.

Taking a few steps back, Regina makes her way over to the lines of coolers. The air was chilly with the crisp feeling of fall, causing her lungs to feel a harshness to them. Grass crunched under her feet as it was frosted, the coolness of the air settling in her bones in an unsettling sensation.

Large white coolers that were all labeled with what was in them, were in a line on the outside periphery of the field the bonfire was being held in. Sighing, brown eyes finally fell on the farthest cooler from her, labeled 'WATER'. Nobody seemed to be paying any attention to her as she slowly made her way over to the only cooler that she was even the slightest bit interested in.

Reaching for the lid, she felt something solid yet soft bump into her right side and back. Straightening up from being bent over, she looks up and chocolate brown eyes fall on a girl slightly taller than her with the most mesmerizing sea green eyes she had ever seen. "I'm so sorry! I'm not drunk, just clumsy." Pale hands came up to show surrender in hopes the shorter brunette was not upset.

Words were unable to form in Regina's throat as she looked at the blonde woman that was standing in front of her now. Her hair was laying against her shoulders in gentle waves with a dark grey beanie on top. She was wearing ripped dark jeans, a white V-neck shirt, and what looked like to be some sort of leather jacket. "I just wanted to get some water." The blonde pointed a pale yet strong hand towards the cooler Regina was standing in front of. "Drinking really isn't my thing." Her slender yet athletic shoulders shrugged as she said this.

Without thinking, Regina opened the lid to the cooler and pulled out a cold bottle of water. Sticking her hand out, she offered the bottle of water to the woman that was watching her with amusement in her eyes. "Thanks." Taking the cool bottle of water, the blonde looks closer at the shorter brunette. "I'm Emma."

"You're the new student." As soon as the words left Regina's lips, she could see the blonde flinch slightly.

"Yeah, that's me." Strong hands twirled the bottle of water around, a level of nervousness setting in the air around them. The blonde dug the tip of her Converse shoe into the frozen ground, all of a sudden avoiding eye contact with the brunette.

"I apologize. I didn't mean-"

"It's okay. I'm used to it." Looking back up at the shorter woman, the blonde sent her a tight-lipped smile, but the amusement had left her eyes. Regina could feel her heart clench in her chest slightly knowing that she had essentially killed the conversation between them.

"I'm Regina. Regina Mills." Shifting the weight between her feet, she stuck her hand out towards the blonde in hopes to keep the conversation alive.

"Mills? As in Mayor Mills is your-"

"Mother? Yes. That's me." The blonde shook her hand gently, reveling in the warmth that she felt from the petite olive fingers against her pale ones. Frustration flooded Regina for a split second of being correlated with her mother once again, never being able to escape it.

"I'm sorry. I didn't-"

"It's okay. I'm used to it." A deep chuckle fell from thin lips of the blonde as she heard the words she had just used seconds prior.

After what felt like a small lifetime of just staring at one another, Regina realizes they were still shaking hands and drops her arm. A lopsided grin covers Emma's features, joy filling her eyes once again. "Why don't we start this over? My name is Emma Swan."

"It's nice to meet you Miss Swan." For what felt like the first time in years, Regina felt a true smile grace her lips as she looked up at the blonde. "I'm Regina Mills."

"It's nice to meet you, Regina Mills."

"It started like any classic love story starts." Running my fingers through my mid-length brunette hair, I tuck the loose strands behind my ear. Looking down, I see the glass of whiskey on the bar that I have been sipping from for the last twenty minutes.

"Met at a bar and had a one-night stand?" The bartender asks, a chuckle falling from his lips as he continues to wipe glasses behind the bar. His face was older with slight stubble gracing his cheeks and easy-going green eyes, but the kind of green you see in spring not the sea green kind.

"Okay, it started the way every high school love story starts." Spinning the cool glass between my fingers, I watch as the dark golden liquid splashes around the sides. Soft swirls flow around the glass, my eyes trying to follow every movement it makes.

"Awkward?" Glancing up at the man, I can see that he is watching me intently as if trying to piece the story together before I even tell him.

"Yes. Awkward and way too fast." I could feel a small smile tug at the corner of my lips, the memories flooding my brain. A warmth overflows my body with the images that have run wild in my mind for years, never once leaving me be. The warmth gives me a feeling of comfort that the alcohol in front of me seems to be lacking at the moment.

"That can be the best kind." His voice is gruff, but there is a level of compassion and empathy as an undertone. Some comfort from that type of voice fills me, my eyes going back down to the glass in my hands.

"It is the best kind."

Slamming her hands against the steering wheel of her car, the short brunette lets a frustrated sigh leave her lips as she closes her eyes. Leaning her head back against the seat, she takes a deep breath so the humid air of the summer day fills her lungs. Opening her eyes, she looks at the dashboard in hopes that the answer will be there. No lights were lit up, and the car had stopped making any sort of noise, even the hum that it makes when it is cooling down was absent.

Pushing the driver's side door open, Regina stepped out of the car and glanced around. The woods that surround the town are looking back at her, almost as if laughing at her predicament. A warm breeze blows against her face, the humidity still high and drenching.

Walking to the front of the car, Regina prays to anything that will listen to her that she remembers anything that her dad may have taught her about cars. Running her fingers along the edge of the metal grill, she feels for the metal latch that will unlock the hood to the car. Not being able to find it on the first try, she grunts out her frustration.

Crunching gravel fills the air around her and she stands up from being bent over and looks in the direction it is coming from. Leaning against the hood of her car, she watches as the most familiar beat-up pick-up truck in town pulls up next to her. "Car shit out on you again?" A lopsided grin covers the blonde's face as she sticks her head out of the window to look at the brunette.

"Yes, my car stopped working." Regina crosses her arms in front of her chest, her defenses building slightly.

"This is what happens when you don't let me finish working on your car." Deep chuckles fall from thin lips as Emma turns off her truck.

Pushing the driver's side open, Regina watches the smooth movements of the blonde. Emma slams the truck door so that it stays shut, making her way to the tailgate of the truck. "I had things to do!" The brunette defends, her eyes looking at the ground so she doesn't have to see the teasing look that Emma is giving her.

"And we see where we are now." Regina shifts the weight between her feet, her eyes looking up through her lashes at the blonde who is pulling her red toolbox from the bed of her truck. "Something tells me it is the fuel line, but I'll take a quick look."

"I thought you fixed that." Regina says as she stands up and moves so Emma can get to the hood of her car.

"No, I wanted to fix it." The blonde teases as she easily pops the hood of Regina's car, a smirk covering her features as Regina rolls her eyes at how easy all of this comes to the blonde.

"You don't have to be sarcastic with me, Miss Swan." The brunette watches as Emma shrugs the flannel off of her shoulders, leaving her in ripped jeans and a tank top.

Squatting to look inside her toolbox, Emma searches for the correct tools for getting where she needed to in the engine. "I'm just saying that maybe you should listen to me more often." Emma spoke as she stood up and moved to bend over the engine of the car, digging and rearranging things to get to the root of the problem.

Regina looked away as Emma continued to work on the car because the flexing of the muscles in Emma's shoulders was proving to be a little too much. "If I listened to you more, I am pretty sure your foster dad would have us both in that jail cell." Grinning to herself, Regina pushed some of the gravel around with the toe of her shoe.

"I have never suggested anything illegal, just…a little crazy." The brunette could hear Emma chuckling to herself under the hood of the car. Metal hitting metal filled the air around them with sound soon after.

"I feel like driving those really fast circles in the grocery store parking lot after curfew isn't legal." Feeling the intensity of the sun hitting her back, Regina begins to regret the thick shirt she picked out this morning.

"You mean donuts?" Emma stands up and grabs a bandana from the back pocket in her jeans, looking over at Regina with a smile on her face. "Okay, those may not be the most legal thing in the whole world, but you had fun."

"It made me sick." The brunette shivers at the memory of getting sick to her stomach and forcing Emma to stop and pull over.

"You laughed for the first couple of minutes." Emma stated as she wiped the grease from her hands onto the bandana, mischief filling her irises as she looks at the shorter woman. "Alright, I should be able to fix this tonight once I get Leroy to haul it back to my garage."

"Emma, I need that car-"

"Regina Mills." Emma said sternly, immediately shutting the brunette up as she never uses her last name against her. "It is too hot to be working on this."

The blonde slams the hood of the car and picks up her toolbox, walking over to where Regina is leaning against the side of her truck. Throwing the toolbox over the side of the truck so it is sitting in the bed, she essentially trapped the brunette against the truck. Enlightened sea green eyes look down into warm chocolate ones, the heat of the day nothing compared to what is between their bodies.

Regina can see the slight dampness to Emma's skin, making her eyes trace over every plane of her face and sharp jaw. "Get in the truck and enjoy the adventure." Emma's breath hits her face gently as she whispers to the shorter woman pushed against the side of her truck.

Swallowing the thick lump that had formed in her throat, she feels her heartbeat pick up as Emma finally takes a step back from her. "Okay."

"She was free and that was something that I hadn't felt before." I spit out quickly before downing the last of my drink, the burning liquor hitting my throat all the way down.

"Aren't we all free?" Jeff, the bartender whose name I had finally gotten, moves to finish mixing the drinks for the other patrons at the bar. His eyes may have left me, but his ears and attention had stayed with me and my story.

"No. Her spirit was free. She just…was alive." Setting my glass down on the bar top, I slide it over to Jeff with a look of expectation. His thick fingers took the glass from me, his eyes watching his movements.

"She was your breath of fresh air." The dark golden liquid fills the glass once again, my eyes following the rising level.

"Yeah. She was every breath of air I needed." My head was starting to feel warm along with my cheeks as my vision started to feel the tiniest bit fuzzy on the edges. "It took months from when we met for either of us to finally make a move."

Once again, I grab the glass that is now full and twirl it gently in my fingers. The liquid splashes against the sides of the glass and my eyes try to focus on the miniature waves it causes. "Neither of us wanted to ruin what we thought was friendship." Chuckling to myself, an almost happy yet pitiful feeling settling in my chest. "It was never a friendship. It was always more."

"For the love of-!" Regina gasped as she stuck her hand out to stop her body from ramming into the dashboard of the truck. "Can you please slow down?" The brunette yells at her, frustration and enjoyment settling in the back of her mind.

"I'm not even speeding that much!" Emma chuckles from the driver's seat, her eyes glancing sideways at the woman who was freaking out.

"We literally just cleared those railroad tracks…" Collecting herself, the brunette pushes her hair behind her ears as the wind continues to whip her hair around her face.

"We didn't clear them… just got a little air under the tires." Emma's smile in that moment reflected the shining of the sun as she continued to look out at the road in front of her.

Regina shifted slightly in the passenger seat allowing her to get a good look at the blonde driving the truck recklessly. Emma had her hair pulled back into a messy ponytail with a few tendrils being blown around in the wind. Her tank top was sticking to different parts of her torso from the sweat due to the humidity filling the summer air. She had her left arm resting outside of the driver's side window, letting her fingers play with the air flowing through them as she drove, and her right hand was draped loosely over the steering wheel. Honestly, Regina had never seen anything as beautiful as this version of relaxed Emma Swan. "Where are we even going? The sun is setting."

"Regina, it has been eight months. Have a little faith in me, okay?" The blonde drops her hand from the steering wheel to pat Regina on the knee, trying to convince her to believe in her antics. "I promise it will be fun!" A megawatt smile covered Emma's features, reaching up into her eyes as her left hand took over the job of driving the truck.

"You mean you will have fun." Regina shakes her head, but a smile forces its way onto her lips, and she is laughing at herself internally.

"I will make sure you have a blast." The blonde takes her hand off of her knee and Regina can already feel her body missing the heat even though it's a blistering summer day.

Silence fills the cab of the truck as Emma continues driving down different back roads that nobody in town ever takes. Trees line the sides of the roads and every once in a while, Regina catches sight of an animal. The sun started to go behind the line of trees that lined the road, and soon enough Emma turned off the paved highway onto a gravel road.

Gravel crunched under the wheels as Regina searched for any sign of where they could be going, getting slightly anxious that Emma is taking her to get murdered. Eventually, the lines of trees on either side of the truck broke and opened to a shoreline that went several yards each way. It was grassy closer to the trees but as you got near the riverbank, it turned into pebbly rock that lined many of the riverbanks around Storybrooke. "A river?" Chocolate eyes met green as Emma switched the truck to park and turned it off.

"Only the best river." A lopsided grin covered her lips as she looked out the windshield at the glass-like surface of the water with the tiniest amount of current.

"I don't have a swimming suit." Regina could feel a different kind of heat slide up her neck as Emma waved her off and started to get out of the driver's side of the truck.

"Your clothes will dry!" There was an undertone of pure joy flooding Emma's voice, her eyes reflecting the setting sun that is now half past the horizon.

The blonde slams the door to the truck, making sure it stayed before walking towards the shoreline. In her wake there was the smallest wisp of a shadow from the fading sun, making her skin look brighter than ever before.

Pushing the passenger side door open, Regina gets out of the truck and watches Emma's figure as she walks over to the nearest tree on the shore. Emma crosses her arms in front of her, pulling her tank top over her torso and tossing it over a low-hanging limb on the tree. Immediately, the brunette feels her throat go completely dry at the sight of Emma Swan standing in her ripped jeans and plan black bra. "Or you could just go in your underwear!" The blonde yells back to the brunette who is having to lean against the truck for support.

Regina knew what was coming next yet felt complete shock flood her system as Emma unbuttoned her jeans and slipped them down her legs. Lean and muscular legs were revealed, Regina knew she would be an ultimate fool to not follow the blonde.

Walking slowly to the same tree Emma had hung her clothes off of, she tried her hardest not to stare as the blonde walked into the river. Glancing over at the taller woman, Regina started to feel herself question her own physique compared to Emma's. Regina didn't work out nearly as much as Emma, let alone spend as much time doing physical labor for work. "It feels amazing, Regina!"

Looking over at the blonde who was at the point where the water level was just below her chest, the brunette knew her decision was already made long before th is moment. Slipping her thick shirt over her head and stepping out of her white jean shorts, she could feel another heat besides the humidity rise up her cheeks.

The brunette knew she was attractive. Boys had been asking her out since middle school but standing here in nothing but her red bralette and panties was unnerving. Walking to the river, she kept her eyes glued to the ground, afraid of what she would see on Emma's features if she looked up.

As she first felt the water against her toes, she knew that the deeper she got the colder it was going to be. The cool sensation felt amazing but feeling it all over her body may be too much for her to handle. "It's really cold." Her voice cracks slightly as she keeps her eyes down on the water lapping at her ankles.

"It feels really good once you get all the way in." The brunette could her happiness in the blonde's voice but keeps her eyes down as she takes a deep breath.

Stepping further into the water, Regina can feel goose bumps rise all along her skin. Even though it felt a bit too cold instantly as new skin hit the water, it felt amazing the longer her body was in the water. Keeping her eyes down, she watches as the water level rises up her torso and feels a small smile tugging on her lips. Regina never did anything like this, at least not before she met Emma.

"Oof, watch out." Emma says as Regina's body runs right into hers, throwing the taller woman slightly off balance.

Reaching out, the brunette grabbed the blonde by her upper arms and looked up to make sure that she was okay. "I'm so-" Words seemed to die on her lips as she saw the lopsided smile within inches of her own face. "Sorry." A chuckle fell from thin lips, making Regina finally look up into those green eyes.

The finally set sun gave rise to the crescent shaped moon, but also left enough light to see the water reflect in Emma's eyes. Regina was close enough to see the individual waves from the river being reflected in those green, almost blue, eyes. "Is it as bad as you thought?" The blonde whispers the words, as if afraid to break the sudden bubble the two of them found themselves in.

Shaking her head, chocolate eyes refuse to leave green eyes now that they have made contact. Looking closer, which seemed impossible, Regina noticed just how dilated her pupils were. More dilated than could be caused by the lack of light, causing a slight shiver to run down her spine. Silence filled the air around them as warm breezes seemed to brush lightly against their exposed skin in the night.

Gently, as if not to scare her, Emma reached forward and tucked a loose strand of hair behind Regina's ear. Her fingertips gracing the side of her cheek and sending electrical shocks throughout the shorter woman's body. Glancing down to thin lips, the brunette could see Emma licking her lips and suddenly the water wasn't cold enough to keep the heat of her body tampered anymore.

Without knowing she was doing it Regina leaned her whole body forward until her whole front was pressing against Emma's. Chocolate eyes dragged up from her lips to see eyes that held a level of determination in them, along with the undertone of fear. "Emma-" The name barely left her lips before thin lips covered her own.

Sighing, Regina feels her body sink into Emma's, drinking in the feeling. Lips moved softly yet with confidence as athletic arms wrapped around her waist. Feeling those protective arms wrap around her waist, she drapes her arms around lithe shoulders and tangles her fingers into loose strands of blonde hair.

Strong fingers splayed wide on her lower back, holding Regina tightly against the blonde to the point there was not a single drop of water between their bodies. Dropping her left hand from blonde hair, she rests it against her chest above where Emma's heart is. Pushing her back slightly, both women immediately fill their lungs with the much-needed night air.

Keeping her eyes closed, Regina listens to Emma try to even her breathing and can feel her thumbs tracing gentle circle on her back. "Sorry." The blonde's voice is a whole new level of deep, almost to the point of being husky.

Opening her eyes, they meet dark forest green ones in the night sky. "No." Shaking her head, Regina refuses to let her eyes leave Emma's, almost mesmerized by them once again. "I don't want our only kiss to be filled with regret." A sadness set over the brunette as she thought about the situation. They had been spending all day together and with the setting sun, everything just felt too right for Emma not to kiss her, even if the feelings aren't there.

Emma Swan was a joyous and free spirit. She could do anything she put her mind to no matter how crazy it all seemed. Regina was not that way. She stayed inside most of the time and focused on the future her mother expected of her. They were polar opposites and somebody as beautiful and free-spirited as Emma didn't want to be held down by somebody like Regina. "Only?" The deep voice pulled the brunette out of her thoughts, eyes focusing back on the person still holding her tight.

"Emma-"

"I know I could've read the signs wrong, but I don't think I did." Deep green eyes searched the brunette's features for answers to her questions. "I thought that you wanted to kiss me."

"I did." Brown eyes glance down only to realize that was a bad decision, the view of their pressed together chests blurring her train of thought.

"Then why is it our only?" Compassion filled Emma's voice, her right hand letting go of her lower back to caress her cheek. Tilting Regina's head up, green eyes are pleading for her to just look at her.

"We're complete opposites, Emma." Her words come out in a sigh as she tries to keep eye contact but can feel a lump rising in her throat. "You have all these big plans for your life, and you are the most out-going person. A literal ball of sunshine sometimes." Taking a deep breath to hold the formation of tears at bay, Regina looks down at her fingers resting against Emma's upper chest. "I'm just me."

Emma shifts her hand that is resting against the brunette's cheek, allowing her thumb to trace her bottom lip gently. Green eyes lock onto the motion of her thumb and allowing her signature lopsided grin to over her own lips. "But I like just you." Brown eyes search green for any sign of dishonesty but are unable to find any.

"You shouldn't. I'll just hold you back." Dropping her left hand that was still tangled within blonde locks, her eyes try to look anywhere but Emma's face.

"That's not true." Conviction filled those words, catching Regina's attention right away. "You helped me pass chemistry. That's actually lifting me up." A goofy smile covers both of their faces, chuckles falling from plump lips.

As the laughter died off in the conversation, Regina took both of her hands and held Emma's face in them. "Just promise me that if I ever hold you back, you'll let me go." Seriousness covers her features and fills her voice as she stares up at the blonde.

"I promise, but you won't." What looked like pure joy filled those green eyes in an instant. "Can I kiss you again?"

"Miss Swan, you are something else entirely." Regina says as she leans up on her toes and presses her lips against soft thin ones.

Cracking open a peanut shell, I watch as the crumbs fall against the bar top. Normally, these things would never be near me let alone something I am ingesting. However, after four glasses of whiskey and a deep story about the only love in your life, you make exceptions. "So, one of you finally made a move?"

Nodding my head, I keep my eyes down cast on the bar top and wait as if the answers to all of my questions would appear written in the wood. "Yeah, she kissed me." As I feel a smile pulling at the corner of my lips, I also feel water prick the corners of my eyes. "It was like something out of the movies, yet the most personal thing."

The sound of a glass being set down caused me to look up and see Jeff sliding water towards me. At first I feel the need to push it away but as the makings of a headache creep upon my temples, I grab the glass. "Something tells me there's more to the story…" His voice gentle yet it is intrigued and wanting to hear the rest of what needs to be said.

"We haven't even hit the best part." Bringing the glass to my lips, I feel the cool water touch my lips and I already know it was a good idea to drink some. Looking at Jeff, I can see his patient and expectant eyes looking at me as he leans on the counter with his forearms. "The best part was a couple months later when school started up again."

The sky would have been pitch black had the stars not been there. Every star created a certain amount of light, making the blonde's skin lighter than it already was. Chocolate eyes shift so she can look up at the blonde with her arm around her shoulders, protecting her from the rest of the world.

Shuffling sounds came from their feet as they made their way down the sidewalk, taking their time before Emma had to say goodnight to Regina. They had left the football game early, neither interested in the sport itself but just wanting an excuse to be together. Dating the daughter of the Mayor had not been the easiest, especially when the Mayor wasn't allowed to know.

Since their kiss in the river that night, they had been inseparable and wherever one went the other wasn't far behind. Most days after they left school Regina would follow Emma to her garage behind her house to watch her work on whatever project it was at the time. Regina would sit on her work bench, watching as the blonde would be laying under her own truck or shoulders deep in Regina's car engine. Whenever Emma had to get a tool from the work bench, she somehow would find herself standing between the brunette's legs, kissing her softly like it was the highlight of her day.

It wasn't long before one of Emma's foster parents came into the garage to tell the girls dinner was ready, catching them in the act. Regina felt like her life had been halted in that moment, but seeing the slight smile curl David's lips, she could breathe once again. Having a place like Emma's house where they could be together had been a Godsend for the couple as time went on.

The night air had chilled drastically since leaving the football stands behind the school, giving Regina an even bigger excuse to curl into the taller woman's side. Few words had been spoken between the two of them as they walked, neither feeling the need to fill the air with small talk. Every third step or so, Emma caught herself turning her head the slightest bit to the left to get the scent of apples and cinnamon once again. "You can stop sniffing me at any time." The brunette laughs as Emma turns her head away in embarrassment.

"I can't help it." Slender shoulders shrug as Emma wraps her arm tighter around the smaller woman. "It's kind of like how I know all of my suddenly missing hoodies are in your closet."

"I can't help it." She can feel Emma shakes gently from laughter, a smile curling on Regina's lips at the feeling.

Both women could feel their pace slow gently as they got closer to the mayoral mansion. Regina could feel her grip tighten on the hoodie that Emma wore to the game. Before either woman was ready, the house had appeared before them and the blonde released the brunette. Chocolate eyes look up into sea green, pleading for her to walk her to the door and enjoy every last second she can.

Approaching the front porch, Regina looks upon the door to see a handwritten note from her half-sister. Pulling the paper off, she lets her eyes wander over the page before looking up into soft eyes. "She's spending the night at Mal's." Small shoulders shrug as she crumples the paper and puts it into the pocket of the leather jacket Emma gave her to wear.

"Ah." Emma nods her head, tension filling the air around them that hadn't ever settled there before. Brown eyes look down at the porch, trying to keep the butterflies running wild in her chest at bay.

"My parents are in Boston for the weekend…" The words come out softly, trying to sound confident yet falling short. "You can come in if you want."

"Do you want me to come in?" Patience and compassion fill Emma's voice as her hands reach for Regina's.

The warmth the brunette feels from that strong, yet soft touch brings her the confidence she needs. Looking up into the taller woman's eyes, Regina can feel the deep emotion that has been hanging in her mind for months rise to the surface. Words get caught in the brunette's throat, causing her to only be able to nod her head at her girlfriend. Emma's eyes search the brunette's face for any indicator of hesitation, not wanting to push her beyond her limits. "Okay." She gives a small smile to the shorter woman, watching her as she unlocks and opens the front door to the house.

Emma had only been in the foyer of the mayoral mansion once when she was picking Regina up for a date last summer. Walking in, the mayoral mansion opened up wide to a very open floor plan with very little filling the room or covering the walls. No lights were on in the house, the only thing lighting up the room was the light coming in through the window from the stars.

There were no words exchanged between the two of them as the blonde followed the shorter woman up the stairs to where she assumed her room was. Looking at the lack of clutter and dust, Emma could feel herself cringe at the realization she left her shoes on. Reaching the top of the stairs, Regina reaches back and intertwines her fingers with strong pale ones.

Walking down the hallway, the sound of Emma's heels dragging filled the air around them in the quiet house. Stopping outside a plain door, Regina reaches forward and pushes the door open, her fingers shaking just slightly. Pulling Emma along, she could feel anxiety start to set in her body as the daunting presence of what was about to happen was sinking in. "We don't have to do anything, Gina."

The shorter woman turns around, her eyes looking up into the green ones that she has been staring into for what felt like years. "I want to." Regina was slightly shocked at how confident her words came out and surprising Emma as well. After seeing the blonde nod along to her words, she felt her vulnerability of the situation set in. "I just…haven't done it before…" Her eyes turn away in embarrassment of her admission, afraid that Emma will think different of her.

"Hey, look at me." The blonde's voice was soothing and confident as she used her thumb and pointer finger to get the shorter woman to look at her. "That doesn't matter to me, okay?" Regina wanted to believe her but could feel her insecurities creep in due to her inexperience compared to Emma's.

"I just don't want you to be disappointed." The brunette clenched her fingers into a fist and relaxed again by her sides, not wanting Emma to see how bad she was really struggling with her vulnerability.

"It's you, Regina. As long as it's just us, I know I won't be disappointed." A lopsided smile covers her features as she looks down at the beautiful woman in front of her.

"How do you always know what to say?" Amazement flooded Regina's eyes as she settled her hands on Emma's hips were her sweatshirt ended and her jeans started. "I just need to go do something really quick." She gave a shy smile to the blonde before stepping out of her embrace and disappearing into the hallway.

Emma sat patiently on the end of the bed, her mind racing with a million different things as the silence filled the air around her. As she clasped her hands together between her legs, she realized she was actually nervous. Granted she had had sex with a few other people before even moving to Storybrooke, but this was different. This actually meant something to both of them and she didn't want to ruin the experience for either of them.

Time seemed to crawl by slowly as she let her mind take her different places with her thoughts. It wasn't long before the soft clicking sound of the door shutting caught her attention and caused her to look up. As she looked up, her breath had been taken away by the striking goddess standing in front of the door. Regina had changed out of her clothes from the game and was standing there in a matching red lace bralette and panties.

Heat covered the brunette's cheeks as she looked down at the ground from the heavy feeling of Emma's eyes on her. "Is it okay? I didn't-"

"Perfect." The blonde choked out before clearing her throat and meeting Regina's gaze from across the room. "I mean…uh… you're beautiful, Regina." Now it was time for Emma to blush as she stumbled over her words.

Sticking her arms out, she signals for the brunette to come and stand in between her legs. As Regina stands in between the blonde's legs, she could feel the heat traveling between their bodies even though they hadn't even touched yet since she had returned to the room. Their eyes remained locked on each other as Emma reached out slowly and placed her hands on soft hips. The brunette gasped in the slightest of ways at the feeling of the blonde's warm hands resting against her cool skin.

Looking back up, green eyes meet brown in the light darkness that filled the room. Emotions of every kind were running wild in both of their eyes as the air started to charge itself with the tension. Reaching forward, Regina rested her hands on Emma's shoulders and moved so her knees were on either side of her hips, essentially allowing her to sit in the blonde's lap. Being this close to the taller woman was intoxicating yet not enough as thick layers separated them. "Can I?" She asks gently as she tugs slightly on the hoodie, wanting it to be subtracted from the equation.

"Yeah!" The blonde cringing at her over enthusiastic response but it broke the tension and Regina giggled down at her.

Reaching down, Emma helped Regina pull the hoodie over her head and was left in her plain black bra and jeans. For the first time in what felt like forever, Emma was worried about her appearances compared to the brunette. Warm and petite hands grabbed both of her cheeks and made her look up at the shorter woman. As she made eye contact, she could see just how dilated and pitch black those normally caramel brown eyes were.

Both women were breathing just a little heavy, both feeling the butterflies from nerves and excitement of what was happening. Leaning just the tiniest bit forward, Regina pushed her lips against Emma's for the first time since the football game earlier. The kiss was slow and gentle, neither one wanting to push for the next step.

The blonde wrapped her arms more securely around the brunette and placed her hands on the small of her back. As she pulled her in closer to her torso, Emma could hear a deep sigh leave Regina's lips and she couldn't help but smile. Regina threaded her fingers through soft blonde locks, tugging lightly to get a small reaction from the woman below her. Licking her bottom lip, Emma finally gained access into Regina's mouth and guided them into a slow pace.

Emma drug her blunted nails against the skin at the small of Regina's back, causing the woman on top of her to groan and shift in her lap. Leaving her lips, the blonde places open-mouthed kisses along the column of the shorter woman's neck. Heavy breathing could be heard coming from the woman above her, her pulse strong under Emma's lips. When Emma hit a specifically sensitive place, Regina tugged harder on her hair yet brought her in just the tiniest bit closer to her neck. A chuckle fell from Emma's lips, her smile imprinting on the skin under her thin lips.

"Emma…" Her name fell from perfect lips as hips dug against her lap, as if without the brunette's permission.

Taking the hint, the blonde wrapped her arms firmly around her waist and lifted her, spinning them so Regina was now laying on her back with her head on the pillows. Emma placed a final kiss to her neck before standing up at the end of the bed, pulling at the button of her jeans. The brunette pushed herself up on her elbows, watching as the blonde struggled to tug the tight jeans off her legs before taking off her shoes. "Dear, try taking your shoes off first." A smug smile covers her features as a lightbulb appeared above Emma's head.

"This is why you're the smart one in the relationship." Emma chuckled as color rose to her cheeks, clipping her Converse off quickly so she could kick her jeans off the rest of the way.

Regina watched as more pale skin was revealed to her, the light from the stars shining bright against the smooth skin. Brown eyes raked up and down every taut muscle and slight curve of the athletic body. Emma stood at the end of the bed in her plain black bra and what looked to be striped grey boxer briefs. "You are a sight to behold, Regina Mills." A lopsided grin covered her features as she looked down at the goddess on the bed, hair laying against her shoulders and watching her every move with those very dark eyes.

"Are you just going to stand there and stare all night?" The brunette teased as Emma continued to drag her eyes all over her.

That sentence must have snapped Emma back to the present because she quickly climbed her way up the bed, dropping a barely there kiss every once in a while. Finally making it all the way up the bed, the blonde holds her body slightly above the smaller woman. Petite fingers tangle in blonde hair, bringing her lips down to plump ones that seem to devour her in a hunger they haven't experience before.

The kiss itself knocks the wind out of Emma and causes her to stumble slightly so the bottom half of her body is laying flush against Regina. Breaking the kiss once again, Emma places almost sloppy kisses against the column of the brunette's neck, trailing her way down to her collarbones. Nipping at the skin lightly with her teeth, she takes her left hand and rests it against Regina's right ribcage, feeling the soft skin under her fingertips.

Drawing soft circles with her thumb, she moves her mouth so she can kiss the top of Regina's right breast. The fingers tangled in her hair massage her scalp gently, as if to tell her that everything she is doing is okay. Scraping her teeth gently between her breasts, she trails down her sternum to her abdomen. Kissing her way across Regina's stomach, she can feel the brunette squirm and heavy breaths fall from her lips, almost as if she wanted to speak up.

Glancing up, she sees brown eyes watching her intently with a worry line between her eyebrows. Moving up her body once again, she comes face to face with the shorter woman. "What's wrong? Do you want to stop?" Her voice is nervous and slightly shaky as she asks this, afraid that she went too far and read the signs wrong.

"No! Nothing's wrong." Petite fingers play with the hair at the back of her neck in a reassuring way. "I just…I'm worried that you're holding back. Like I am going to break, which I won't." An almost pleading look fills her eyes, wanting nothing more than both of them to be true to themselves in this moment.

"I just don't want to hurt you or do something you don't like." Emma can already feel herself falling deeper into those gentle touches on her neck.

"I promise to tell you if I don't like something." Brown eyes melt with green and both of them know in that moment that everything is going to be okay.

"Okay." The blonde places a gentle kiss against her lips before kissing down her neck once again, this time leaving a few small bites along the way. Each time her teeth imprint on smooth skin, a moan comes from the woman below her and Emma can tell she is already addicted.

Snaking her arm around to her back, Emma pulls at the clasp on the brunette's bra. As soon as it falls loose on her shoulders Regina pulls it off herself, grateful for the feeling of Emma's skin against hers. Dragging her lips across the top of her chest, Emma licks her way to a hard nipple. Taking it gently between her teeth, she feels pointed nails dig into her shoulders and pulling her into the woman below her. Regina always kept her nails longer than Emma, which used to bother Emma when it came to certain things, but she could already tell by the end of the night that she wouldn't mind it much anymore.

The feeling of Emma pulling gently on her nipple caused Regina to drop her knees to either side so Emma sunk between her legs. Letting go of her nipple, the blonde moves over to the other one and replaces where she had just been with her hand. Feeling the stimulation on both of her breasts, the brunette finds her hips pushing upwards without any control. As the tiniest bit of friction comes from the edge of Emma's hip, Regina feels a deep whine come from her lips that in any other situation she would be embarrassed.

Gentle eyes look up from where they had been looking, the pupils blown and looking up at her with a lust she had never seen. Keeping their eye contact, Emma trails open-mouthed kisses down her abdomen until she reaches the edge of her panties. So far, everything had been pretty gentle and soft but as soon as Emma's lips landed on her hip bone, that was a different story.

Taking the skin between her lips, she sucks on it a little rough before finishing it off with a bite. Pulling back to look at her handy work, Emma smirks up at the woman below her and can already see that it had benefitted her. "You marked me?" Regina's voice was so deep that it could have classified as husky, her breathing rapid.

"What can I say? I'm protective." Brown eyes roll at this statement, but a smile pulls at Regina's lips as she caresses the taller woman's cheek.

Hooking strong fingers inside the waist band of red panties, Emma searches Regina's face for any sign of hesitation. After seeing none, she pulls them down to her calves until Regina kicks them off the rest of the way. Kissing her way back up Regina's body, Emma sinks in between open legs and can feel the warmth and the arousal against her abdomen.

Feeling vulnerable, petite fingers search for the clasp to the blonde's bra. Unclasping it, Emma shrugs her shoulders so it falls all the way off and tosses it on the floor. When their chests push together, both woman moan at the feeling of being so close yet not close enough. Tangling her fingers in blonde locks, Regina presses her lips gently against Emma's, pulling her farther down onto her.

Within what felt like mere seconds, Regina moved her hips on instinct and pulled away from the kiss. "Emma…please?" Her voice was barely above a whisper, eyes pleading and all of sudden the blonde's nerves came back.

"Are you sure?" Rubbing her nose against the brunette's, she feels Regina take her hand and press the palm against her heart.

"Emma Swan, I have never been more sure of anything in my life." A small smile curls at her lips as she feels the strong heartbeat under her fingertips.

Moving so that all of her weight was on her left hand that was beside Regina's head, the blonde let her fingers trail gently down the brunette's sternum and abdomen to where her panty line is. Running her finger from hip bone to hip bone, Emma could feel her nerves pulling at the bottom of her spine. Gentle fingers massage the back of her scalp lightly, caressing her in a reassuring way at the back of her neck.

Looking down at the woman below her, Emma can see that there is nothing but love in those half-lidded eyes. Taking one last deep breath to calm her nerves, Emma slides her hand down lower until her fingers come into contact with wet folds. A moan comes from both parties, both from pleasure but in two different ways. Running fingers through wet folds, Emma feels nails dig lightly into the back of her neck causing a shiver to run down her spine.

Finally reaching that bundle of nerves, Emma circles it gently as her eyes watch every expression Regina makes. When the slightest amount of pressure is added to her touch, the brunette throws her head back and a shy moan leaves her perfect lips. Circling the bundle of nerves slowly, the blonde can feel the small rocking motion that Regina is doing, trying to get more friction.

Petite fingers leave blonde locks and make their way until they are resting against the small of Emma's back, pulling her farther down onto her. Regina could feel a weird tightening in her lower stomach, but she could tell it was a feeling she wanted to chase and not run from. Emma trails her fingers away from the bundle of nerves and to her entrance, circling it in a light and teasing manner. "Emma…" Her voice came out pleading but mainly stern as she was over waiting for the blonde.

Green eyes searched brown, triple checking for any hesitation. Seeing none, Emma quick takes her hand away from touching Regina where she needed and moved the brunette's right hand from her back up to her shoulder. Her left hand that had been holding the blonde up, intertwines her fingers with Regina's before moving her other hand back to where they both wanted it.

Circling her entrance gently, Emma glances up at Regina and sees adoration in those deep dark eyes. "Emma…" The tone of her voice keeps the blonde's attention on her and stalls her movement for a second. "I…" The brunette trails her tongue over her bottom lip before biting it and smiling nervously at Emma. "I love you, Emma Swan." A certain level of confidence had come into her voice, but the insecurities were still underlying the words.

Leaning her head down so their foreheads are touching, a smile pulls at the corner of Emma's lips. Running the tip of her nose against Regina's she closes her eyes and takes in the scent of being so close to the woman. "I love you, Regina Mills." Pulling back slightly, she can see tears forming at the corners of brown eyes but a deep smile looking up at her.

Placing a gentle and loving kiss on Regina's lips, Emma finally pushes a single finger into the smaller woman slowly. Emma could feel Regina's face scrunch up against her own as she continued to kiss her, knowing there was going to be some discomfort. Feeling her face relax, Emma pulls back and looks down at Regina who is trying to take a couple of deep breaths.

Shifting her weight slightly, the blonde places light kisses along the brunette's cheeks, chin, forehead, and nose. After what felt like a small lifetime, the woman below her tries to move her hips tentatively and Emma curls her finger just slightly. A deep moan rips itself from the brunette's throat and her hips move again but with more confidence.

They keep those motions up for a few minutes, allowing the smaller woman to get used to the feeling. After getting the rocking rhythm down, Emma pulls her finger out slowly before pushing it back in and curling it at the end of the thrust. Feeling the tension in her lower stomach once again, Regina wraps her leg around the blonde's hip as another moan falls from her lips.

Dark green eyes trail over every emotion with caution, looking for any sign of discomfort at any point. A smirk covers her features as she watches the brunette toss her head back and her eyes close tightly as she curls her finger with a deep thrust. "Emma…more…" Her voice is almost hoarse as it strains its way from her clenched jaw.

Knowing what she meant, Emma pulls out and adds a finger, pushing in just as slow as the first time. This time instead of a painful response, Regina lets out a groan that shook Emma to her very core. The blonde continues a deep rhythm as the brunette rocks her hips, each working to build that woman up to the very edge.

After what felt like no time at all, the blonde could feel a tightness around her fingers as Regina tossed her head back, grabbing harder onto Emma's hand and almost yelling her name out to the night sky. The blonde slowed her movements as she watched Regina ride out the wave of pleasure, taking in every aspect of it and memorizing everything about this moment.

Feeling the brunette go limp, she pulls out her fingers and places soft kisses over different parts of her face. Brushing some dark locks out of the brunette's face, deep brown eyes open up to look at her with nothing but love in them. Placing a last kiss against plump lips, she rubs her nose against the woman's below her, taking in the moment between the two of them.

A soft silence filled the air as they both tried to calm their breathing, relaxing in the comfortable bubble that surrounds them. "Thank you." Regina's voice cracks slightly, causing the blonde to smile.

"You don't have to thank me for sex." A chuckle falls from Emma's lips as the brunette rolls her eyes.

"No. Thank you for trusting me that I was ready." Brown eyes look up into green, a smile curling at her lips as she rubbed her nose against Emma's.

Dark sea green eyes searched soft features, a lopsided grin curling at the corners of her lips. "I love you." The words were sealed in their bubble with a kiss that made both of them fall that much more in love.

My vision had now turned blurrier on the edges and my head was definitely fuzzy all around. The air around me had turned warm as the night went on as more bodies filled the bar, but the world still seemed so far away as memories ran wild in my head. "So…you gave her your virginity?" For the first time tonight, there was judgment in Jeff's voice.

"Yes, but it is not what you're thinking." Twirling the empty whiskey glass between my fingers, I can feel his eyes watching me intently.

"So, you're not obsessed over the woman who took your virginity six years ago?" His light green eyes watched me as I finally looked up to meet his. Sliding my glass across the bar top, I nod my head towards it in a signal for him to pour another.

"Yes, but not because she took my virginity." Rolling my eyes, I feel myself grow impatient at the fact that this is what he focused on. "Just because somebody took my virginity is not reason for me to hang on."

A loud laughing sound caught my attention from behind me in the bar. Turning around, I saw a group of younger men laughing and drinking beer from glass bottles. Their facial expressions carefree and enjoying the night, same with the rest of the bar it seemed. People were all having a great time around me, not a single one suffering the way I am.

I turn back towards Jeff where he had slid the slightly filled glass of whiskey towards me, a patient look on his face. "So…" He leans against the bar top on his elbows as he looks towards me, an almost fatherly look on his face. "Why do you still hang on?" These words hit me straight in the chest, making the whiskey taste in my mouth from earlier sour.

Running my fingers through my hair, I let my mind try to catch all of the words that are bouncing around to form words to the feelings I feel. Closing my eyes, I see soft sea green eyes and blonde hair, my body already feeling a sense of security I constantly lack now. "Do you remember when you were a child and school let out for the summer?" His light green eyes showed confusion and curiosity as he tried to follow along. "All year you are bored out of your mind and then as soon as those doors open after the last bell, your life changes into one of endless possibilities of adventure and fun. Being with her was like that."

"Adventurous?" Confusion still lined his irises as he gazed upon me, his attention fully on me and not anything else happening in the bar.

"Like I finally realized there was more to life than what was drilled into me as a child. Endless possibilities for the future and it was exhilarating." Clarification had started to creep onto his features, a slight smile curling at his lips. "She made me want to live life without any regrets and in doing so, she made me feel safe."

Lifting the glass to my lips, I close my eyes and take another drink. The hard liquor burns my tongue but slides easily down my throat from the previous drinks numbing it. Sighing, I set the glass back down before opening my eyes to see Jeff watching me closely. "What happened?" No other words were needed from him. I know he wants to know what ended the relationship between me and the love of my life. What took away my soulmate.

"Life."

Fall and winter passed quickly as both women were busy their senior year, but never too busy for the other. Regina would continue to watch Emma work on her projects in her garage even when it was freezing outside. Emma would sit behind Regina as they both sat on the blonde's bed as the brunette did homework. Both accepting what time they got together, not once taking it for granted and appreciating every second they got to see one another.

Since that first night of being together, they would sneak away for quick nights together when Emma's foster parents were busy around town. Every once in a while, when the Mayor had business in another city, they would get a night at Regina's where they could take their time. They could appreciate every aspect of one another, memorizing every inch until it felt ingrained in their minds. Afterwards, Emma would get to see her favorite side of Regina.

The brunette would wear one of Emma's hoodies and they would go into the kitchen. Emma would sit on the counter in her bra and sleep shorts and just watch as Regina moved about the kitchen, cooking a late-night meal for them. It was so simple and domestic that it warmed the blonde to her core.

They would sit on the kitchen floor and eat their meal together, most of the time feeding one another as they talked. Giggles would fill the air and kisses would be stolen in these precious moments. Everything had been going perfect for the couple, nothing could pop their glorious bubble they had created for the two of them. Until that late spring.

Senior year had been coming to a close, everybody was buzzing with excitement about the future. Yet, between Emma and Regina, there had been zero discussion of the future. Silent words were spoken about Regina having to stay home with her parents and following in the footsteps of her mother, but also watching over her father's health. Earlier that winter, Henry Mills had suffered an extensive heart attack, leaving him in need of care in which Regina helped provide.

Emma had been working out in her garage and Regina had snuck inside to speak to Emma's foster mother, Mary Margaret. The brunette found the pixie-haired woman cleaning vegetables in the kitchen, the radio playing softly in the background. "Hey, Mrs. Nolan." A bright smile covered the foster mom's face as the brunette approached her.

"You know I have told you several times to call me Mary Margaret." The smaller woman teased as she placed a carrot on the cutting board in front of her on the counter.

"Sorry, Mary Margaret." Regina sent a smile her way as she moved to sit on the bar stool across from where she was standing.

"What can I do for you, Sweetie?" Her voice was gentle as she continued her task.

"I want to get Emma something for graduation, but I am not sure exactly what. I was hoping you could help." Petite fingers reached forward and snagged a carrot from the pile of washed ones waiting to be chopped.

"Emma isn't going to want anything." A small laugh falls from the short-haired woman, her eyes glancing up to meet Regina's. "You know she is the hardest to shop for." The younger woman nodded along, knowing exactly how hard it is to shop for her girlfriend.

"But there has got to be something I can get for her." Regina twirls the carrot between her fingers, and she contemplates the thoughts in her head. "I mean there has to be something I can get her for when she starts her new job."

"New job?" Mary Margaret looks up at the brunette, her eyes holding curiosity. "I thought she was going to focus on school in the fall."

"School?" Confusion floods the younger woman as she looks at the woman across from her.

"Yeah, the college in California?" The older woman set the chopping knife down on the counter as the gears started to click into place in her mind. "She didn't tell you, did she."

Panic flooded Regina in an instant. Liquid lead rushed through her veins before it solidified and held her in one place as her mind raced. Her body felt solid as the floor felt unsteady under her feet and she had to reach out for the counter. "Honey, I'm so sor-"

"I have to go." The brunette spit out as she stood from the bar stool quickly, her world feeling dizzy as her feet landed on the ground.

As she stumbled her way to the door, her lungs felt like they were being squeezed inside of her chest and the world around her was shrinking. She could hear Mary Margaret yell to her, but she forced herself to keep pushing forward until she could no longer keep going. The world was going black on the edges and her heart was beating faster than a hummingbird.

Running her fingers through her hair, she made her way back to her car and stumbled into the driver's seat. With a million thoughts in her head, she couldn't focus on driving, but her body didn't need the directions to the one place she wanted to go.

It wasn't long before the sound of crunching gravel stopped under her tires and the breeze from the moving river hit her in the face. She pushed the driver's side door open, her body still shaking slightly as her thoughts continued to race. Legs shaky as she slammed the door closed and made her way towards the tree along the riverbank.

The air had a springtime bite to it as she sat in the new grass that was forming along the bank. Leaning against the tree, she slid down until her back was scuffed from the bark and her butt was wet from the dew on the grass. Pushing her hair back from her face, she could feel a moisture on her cheeks that she hadn't realized was there before.

Tears tracked down her cheeks as she watched the current in the river, wishing it could take her with. The sun shined brightly off of the surface and it hurt her eyes, but not nearly as bad as the emotions she was feeling. Everything was falling apart in the blink of an eye and she felt like she was flailing to grab ahold of anything to keep her in one place.

Watching the area around her intently, her thoughts run wild in her mind as the facts from today were setting in. The wind was drying the tears on her face and her head was starting to pound from the pressure built inside her head. Pulling her knees to her chest, she closes her eyes and leans her head back against the tree. Taking deep breaths, she tries to pull herself together. Pull herself back to the woman she was before falling in love. The woman who didn't need somebody to protect her, to care for her.

Crumbled walls from months of adoration started to build around her heart again, her mind taking over the pain that was flooding her chest. Pushing emotions aside, she felt herself slipping into a mode she hadn't been in in months.

Crunching gravel was heard in the background, but brown eyes stayed glued to the river current. Even when approaching footsteps could be heard, her eyes stayed attached to their focal points along the bank. "Regina…" The words from the voice she heard in her dreams was gentle, almost as if afraid of what was going to happen.

Shaking her head, she kept her vision focused forward even when she felt a warmth near her body. The blonde sat on the ground, cross-legged and close but not close enough to be touching. She knew that touching the brunette when she was upset only made things worse, she kept her distance. "Regina, please." A plead flooded that voice, her resolve breaking at the sound of her lover saddened.

Brown eyes shifted from the river and glanced at the blonde who seemed like she was falling apart. Anger built inside of the brunette at the image before her, her body shaking just slightly. "Please baby, just talk to me." Green eyes were almost blue with emotions as they traced over every feature of the brunette's face.

"You promised…" The words were hoarse and broken as they left plump and cracked lips. Emma flinched slightly at the words, knowing she had made a mistake and wanted to fix it.

"I know. I was going to tell them I wasn't going. They just-" Regina placed a cold but firm finger against the blonde's lips to get her to stop talking.

Taking a deep breath, Regina turned her gaze towards the ground, watching the breeze move the blades of grass. "You promised me that if I was ever holding you back that you would let me go." The blonde pulled back and tried to speak but seeing the broken look in brown eyes, she let Regina continue. "You applied to that college, didn't you?" Broken eyes searched blue green ones, waiting for an answer.

The blonde felt her chest tighten as she looked at the love of her life before her. She nodded her head once, almost as if in shame. "I just wanted to see if I could get in. I don't really-" Once again, a broken expression interrupted her words.

"You wouldn't have applied if you didn't want to go." Pain shot through the brunette, hatred towards herself flooding her heart. A hatred that she hadn't felt since before meeting the blonde woman before her. "Emma, you promised."

"You're not holding me back. I want to stay here with you." Strong fingers reach for a tan arm but misses as the arm is pulled from her reach.

"What is there here for you?" The brunette stares directly into ashamed eyes, begging to anything out there that there was something.

"You." The answer is immediate and sure, a smile curling on Emma's lips.

Regina shakes her head, looking down at the ground and wrapping her arms around her knees. Pulling herself deeper into herself, Regina lets a shaky breath out of her lungs. "That's not enough, Emma."

"But it is!" This time the blonde does touch the shorter woman. The touch is pleading, begging for understanding. "I want-"

"No Emma! It isn't enough!" The brunette's eyes slam shut as tears start to leak down her cheeks again. The touch of her lover burning in a painful way it never had before. "You are different, Emma. You need to explore the world. You need to experience a place outside of Storybrooke…" Leaning her head forward so her forehead rests against her knees, she pushes the words out. "Away from me."

"Regina-"

"I love you, Emma Swan." Teary brown eyes lift up and meet teary sea green eyes. "More than anything I have ever loved, but I am not holding you back anymore."

"I don't understand. What-"

"We're over, Emma." Those words cut both women so deep, the scars would forever be enmeshed in their souls. Emma felt her chest tighten as though the blood from those wounds were filling her chest and she couldn't breathe.

For the first time since getting to the river, Emma let her tears fall and stain her cheeks. The tears falling so fast that the wind couldn't dry them fast enough. "Regina, please…" Shaking her head, she can feel her heart tearing apart as brown eyes look away from her own green eyes. "I love you." The words are pleading, and she could see the brunette crumble completely in front of her.

"Please, Emma." Covering her head in her arms, she hides from the world and from the blonde who was tearing her apart. "Just go." She keeps her head covered and doesn't chance a look at the blonde woman.

The touch against her shoulder falls and she knows that her request is going to be followed. No sounds fill the air for a few minutes as Regina can feel the warmth of the blonde's body still near her. After what felt like several minutes, soft lips press against the top of her head and her breath catches. "One day, Regina Mills." The words are completely broken as they fill the air, and the sound of retreating footsteps are heard.

It wasn't long before the creaking noise of Emma's truck door is heard, the slamming sound causing her to glance up. The truck is running, and she can see broken green eyes in the rearview mirror, begging for a different outcome.

As Emma shifts the truck into drive, bright taillights shine and Regina can feel the final piece of her heart break apart. Falling into a pit of darkness, the brunette already knows that she will never feel whole again.

"You couldn't have stayed in contact?" Jeff asked as he swept the floor of the closed bar. He continued his closing tasks, but his attention was still completely on me and my story.

"She wouldn't have left if we did." Stacking my empty glasses into a small tower, I can feel my sobriety creeping up on me in the late hours of the night. "She needed to break free and start over. Start a new adventure."

"What did you do?" The sound of stacking chairs resounded around the bar, causing my head to pound in the way back.

"I did what any broken-hearted woman does." Picking at the peeling paint of the bar top, I can feel the same constricting pain in my heart from that day. "I graduated high school and got over her with different people."

A loud slamming noise catches my attention and I turn around to see a dropped chair on the ground with Jeff looking pointedly at me. "You didn't get over her, though." He picked the chair up with one hand and flipped it upside down before resting it on the tabletop. "You're still chasing her."

Running my fingers through my hair, I pull all of it back and drape it over my left shoulder. "Have you looked for her since?" Jeff continued to move around the room, stacking chairs on tables.

"Yes, but I haven't heard from anybody in a year." My heart sunk in my chest, the reality of not even knowing where she was sinking into my bones. "Last I heard she was living in Santa Fe."

"Is she happy?" Once again, his words cut deep.

Feeling old wounds rip open once again, I can feel the pain sting everywhere in my body. The feeling of old scars being torn filled my chest, my walls crumbling around me, and tears pricking the corners of my eyes. "I hope she found her happiness." Letting a tear slip, I let it sit on my cheek instead of wiping it away, wanting to feel emotions running wild.

"And what about you?" His voice was gentle as if trying not to break me more than I already am.

"I'm sitting in a bar telling my love story to a bartender I have never met before at two in the morning." Shrugging, I can see a pitying chuckle fall from his lips as he continues cleaning the bar.

In the background, I can hear a ticking clock sound along with the sounds of Jeff sweeping the floor. Looking at the clock, I see that it is approaching three in the morning and my body feels completely torn apart and exhausted.

Standing from the barstool, I leave a hundred-dollar bill on the table which should cover my drinks and the emotional therapy session. "I'm going to go home and try to get some sleep." Light green eyes glance up at me, worried about my coming journey.

"Let me call you a cab." He sets his broom down and tries to make his way towards the bar as I walk towards the door.

"I haven't had anything to drink in two hours and my house is only a couple blocks away. I will walk." Pressing my hand against the door, I feel the cool night air behind it as I turn to look back at the man. "Goodnight, Jeff. Nice to have you in town."

"Goodnight, Madame Mayor."

Rubbing my fingers against my temple, I can already feel the migraine that is going to last all day forming. No amount of coffee was going to cure the hangover that resided in my body. Granted, drinking on a Wednesday night and an early meeting the next day was not a great combination to begin with.

Leaning forward, I rest my elbows against the desk in my office. Taking a deep breath, I pray for the medicine I took this morning to start working and for my body to not feel like a tornado swept through it. "Madame Mayor?" My assistant's voice squawks through the intercom on the phone, causing my head to send a sharp shooting pain into my temple.

"Yes?" I snap, leaning my head back against my chair and feel my frustration level rising.

"The new sheriff is here for your meeting." Letting an annoying sigh fall from my lips, I tell her to send him in. The hopes of him not showing up had been crushed and the realization that I had to continue to function today was setting in.

The sound of scuffing shoes sounded outside of the door before it opened. "She's right in here." My assistant's voice speaks to the new sheriff, my head still leaning against the back of the chair with my eyes closed. Unprofessional, but I try to enjoy a peaceful moment with the pounding in my head before faced with an agonizing meeting.

"Thank you, Angie." I speak before opening my eyes and tilting my head forward.

Feeling my world shatter in a million pieces, my head immediately stops pounding and all of the air leaves my lungs. Standing at the entrance of my office door was an athletic woman with long blonde curls pulled back into a ponytail and deep sea green eyes. "Madame Mayor." A lopsided smile covered perfect features.

Opening and closing my mouth several times, my brain at a loss for words and my tongue stuck in my throat. Suddenly, my heart decided to start beating again as the woman took several steps towards my desk until she was standing right across from me, a mere two feet from me. "I told you one day, Regina Mills." Brown eyes trail over tight jeans, black tank top, an old red leather jacket, and finally over the sheriff's badge attached on her hip next to her gun.

"Emma Swan."