Part Fifteen: The One With The Yes
Regina was pacing inside her office unsure about what her next move should be.
And that was annoying her to the core.
Regina always knew what to do next.
Even when she didn't.
Well, sort of.
But right now Regina had absolutely no clue of what to do next which was almost comical considering that now that she had admitted her feelings to herself, now that she knew what she wanted, who she wanted, Emma was the one running away.
And Regina had no idea why!
Last night, when she was getting ready to bed, she sensed her.
Regina had just finished putting on her pajamas and when she turned off the lights that overwhelming scent of wildflowers and summer breeze hit her all at once, enveloping her body, calming her heart.
Exactly the way she came to adore it.
So very different from when she went to Henry's school that morning. Emma's scent was so different that day, so heavy and dark that Regina had barely recognized it as belonging to Emma.
Hadn't she seen the bug driving away, Regina wouldn't even know Emma was there.
And she always knew when Emma was near.
Her scent was always a welcome warning of her presence, even before Regina realize how welcome that scent was.
How welcome Emma's presence was.
Regina walked silently in the dark room to the window, gripping the sill as she looked down her front yard.
But no one was there.
And Regina was sure she had imagined Emma's scent.
Because so help her God, Regina was falling for that scent.
And she missed it more than she would ever care to admit.
Regina stayed by the window for what it felt like hours, hoping and hoping and hoping, hoping that Emma would show up, hoping that that scent would invade her again and settle in her heart.
But it never did.
It only got further and further away no matter how much Regina wished it would come back to her.
Regina only closed the window when her body started to shiver from the cold.
And even so, she still lingered a minute longer by the window.
Just in case…
The night was restless.
Regina kept waking up for no reason.
Well, she knew the reason why she was waking up.
Emma!
Always Emma popping in her mind here and there.
So Regina didn't sleep well at night and now she was very irritated, walking around the office.
And thinking about Emma again.
And the more she thought about the blonde woman, the more furious she got.
Look at what she was doing to her!
This wasn't Regina!
Regina walked to the liquor cabinet and poured herself a glass of cider.
Just to calm her nerves a bit.
She was about to take a sip of the cider when the phone in her office rang, making her head turn in the direction of the sound.
She put the glass down and quickly walked to the desk, picking up the phone.
"Yes?" Regina answered the phone, slightly irritated.
"Madam Mayor, this is Principal Weaver,"
"Where is Henry?" Regina said quickly, holding the phone tightly against her ear "Is he okay?"
"Henry is fine, Madam Mayor," Principal Weaver said "I'm calling because Henry was late to school again this morning"
"What?" Regina asked "That's impossible, I dropped him off myself this morning"
"He arrived at class after the signal," The Principal said "And this is not the first time he is late to school"
"How late was his this morning?" Regina scratched her forehead.
"Half an hour," The Principal said "I'm calling to let you know that he will be in detention after school"
"Okay," Regina nodded "I'll… I'll talk to him when he gets home"
"Madam Mayor, we need to have you in the school office,"
"Excuse me?" Regina asked.
"As I said, this isn't the first time Henry is late to school," The Principal said "Perhaps it could be interesting to have a conversation where we could…"
"I said I'll talk to him when he gets home," Regina said angrily "No one, and I mean no one reprimands my son but me. Is that understood?"
"Yes Madam Mayor," The principal said, his voice slightly shook.
"Good," Regina smiled "You have a nice day"
Regina hung up the phone, smashing the damn thing with force.
She knew why Henry was late.
There was only one reason why he was late for school.
That damn book and the infuriating blonde woman who…
"Hey,"
Regina looked up and saw Emma standing awkwardly by the door.
She should be happy that she was there.
But Regina's anger had only grown higher in the past few minutes and she wanted nothing more than to bite someone's head off.
And Emma's head was just the prize she needed right now.
"You," Regina pointed angrily at Emma.
"Me?" Emma pointed at herself.
"Principal Weaver just called me," Regina said "To let me know Henry is in detention because he was late for school. Again!"
"Okay," Emma nodded "You should… talk to the kid"
"Oh, I'm planning on doing that," Regina said angrily "After I tell you to stay the hell away from my son"
"We are back to this again?" Emma asked, entering the office "Seriously?"
"Henry can't just keep making his own schedule," Regina said walking to the window "If I drop him off in front of the school I expect him to stay there"
"Look, I get your point, okay?" Emma said walking closer to Regina "And you are absolutely right, but I have nothing to do with this"
"You have everything to do with this," Regina shouted staring at Emma "You are the reason why he is getting late to school"
"Regina, I didn't see Henry this morning," Emma said "I'm not that irresponsible, I always drop him off in time"
"Do you seriously expect me to believe he wasn't with you?" Regina crossed her arms.
"Yes I do, because he wasn't," Emma said slightly irritated.
"You are a liar," Regina shouted.
"And you are insufferable," Emma shouted back.
"How dare you?"
And before Regina knew any better, before she could lash out, Emma's lips were on hers.
Taking her breath away.
Regina didn't even have time to think about what was happening because her body started to act on its own, her arms simply went around Emma's waist and pulled her closer, digging her nails into the fabric of her blouse.
Her whole skin was on fire, her heart was beating fast inside her chest, and every bone in her body was desiring everything that was Emma.
She kissed Emma with force, savoring every bit of her tongue with hers, feeling the softness of Emma's hands on her face and the heat coming from Emma's body.
She wanted Emma closer.
She wanted to feel Emma all over her, she wanted everything that was Emma all at once, all in this one kiss because she didn't know if she would ever have this again.
And if this was their only moment, then Regina wanted it at all.
Because she was so done denying what her heart desperately wanted.
And her heart wanted Emma.
Even if all they had was this moment and this kiss Regina would take it.
Because having this was better than the alternative.
But eventually, they had to break the kiss.
And when Emma pulled away, grunting her protest, she didn't pull away completely.
If anything, she gave a step closer to Regina pressing their foreheads together, and smiled softly at her, running her hands on her face.
"This is the last time I'm going to ask you, Regina," Emma said breathing heavily "Will you please go on a…"
"Yes," Regina whispered, not letting Emma finish her sentence.
She didn't have to.
She was sure of her answer now.
There was no denying anymore what was happening between them.
Regina had fallen in love with Emma.
And she wanted nothing more than to give herself to this feeling.
She wanted nothing more than this pure happiness she was feeling right now.
Whatever the consequences were.
She would pay the price.
She would pay any price just for one more second with the woman in front of her.
"Tomorrow," Emma smiled, giving half a step away from Regina. Just enough to look at her more properly "I'll pick you up tomorrow night"
"Okay," Regina smiled, holding the sides of Emma's shirt "But why so soon?"
"Because I don't want to waste time anymore," Emma said "I'd take you tonight but I imagine you have a serious conversation to have with Henry"
"Right," Regina shook her head.
She completely forgot about that!
"He wasn't with me, Regina, I swear," Emma said seriously.
"I believe you," Regina nodded "I'm sorry I called you a liar"
"I'm sorry I called you insufferable," Emma smiled crookedly.
"Okay, how dare you?" Regina asked half-seriously.
But Emma just smiled at her again and leaned forward to capture her lips for another kiss.
Emma was smiling from ear to ear when she opened the door of the loft later at night.
She honestly couldn't remember the last time she felt this… happy!
Spending the afternoon making out with Regina in the office was so much better than any of Emma's dreams about the brunette woman.
Touch her, feel her, kiss her, were pure bliss.
At every trace of Emma's fingertips on Regina's face, neck, hands, and arms Emma felt like her whole body was on fire.
And God how she wanted more!
She wanted Regina all over her, with no barriers between them.
Just tongue and teeth and skin.
And those delicious moans Regina produced while lying under Emma on the couch.
Emma could live a whole lifetime and never get tired of hearing that sound.
Emma pushed the door open entering the loft.
"Why does she have to be so fucking nice?"
Emma closed the door behind her and removed her jacket taking off her phone before hanging the jacket on the hooks in the wall.
"I'm sorry, what?" Emma asked.
She walked to where Mary Margaret was, sitting by the kitchen counter with a bottle of wine half empty.
"Katheryn," Mary Margaret said looking at Emma "Why does she have to be so nice?"
"Oh, her," Emma said before walking to the kitchen and taking a glass for herself "You are still into David, huh?"
"Yes," Mary Margaret dropped her face on the counter "I'm horrible"
"You are not horrible," Emma said taking the seat beside her and pouring herself a glass of wine "Do you think the reason why you are so hooked on David is because of Henry?"
"What?" Mary Margaret asked, lifting her face to look at Emma.
"It's just that you never really noticed him until Henry said something," Emma sipped her wine "And then he woke up and you were just, I don't know, in love with a guy you never even met before"
"I felt something with him," Mary Margaret said "I can't quite explain and you'll probably think I'm crazy but… there was this connection between us, you know?"
"Yeah, I…" Emma smiled "I supposed I can understand that"
"What should I do, Emma?" Mary Margaret asked.
"Dump him," Emma said seriously.
"What?" Mary Margaret asked "But you just said you could…"
"That doesn't change the fact that he is married," Emma said "Trust me, it is not worth it"
"You have… done something like this before?" Mary Margaret asked.
"Unfortunately, yes," Emma said "End this now before you really fall in love with this guy"
"I think I'm already there, Emma" Mary Margaret said.
"Then you should talk to him," Emma said "Try and figured out what he wants"
"He says he wants me," Mary Margaret smiled.
"Then he needs to leave his wife," Emma said, sipping her wine again.
"He is going to be released from the hospital in two days," Mary Margaret said, pouring the rest of the wine bottle onto her glass "And Katheryn has invited me to his welcome back home party"
"Oh, shit," Emma said.
"She asked me to invite you too," Mary Margaret pointed at Emma "So you are invited"
"I'm sorry," Emma said, reaching for Mary Margaret's hand and squeezing it lightly.
"This would be so much easier if she was a bitch," Mary Margaret said.
"No, it wouldn't," Emma released her hand "She would still be his wife"
"I know," Mary Margaret nodded.
"And you two would still be cheating," Emma said seriously.
"We are not cheating," Mary Margaret said "Nothing happened"
"Nothing?" Emma asked.
"Nothing… serious," Mary Margaret said "He is still in the hospital"
"Right," Emma drank the rest of her wine "It's still wrong"
"I know," Mary Margaret nodded.
"Talk to him," Emma rose from the stool "You'll regret it if you don't"
"I will," Mary Margaret said "Thank you, Emma"
"Of course," Emma said "Goodnight, Mary Margaret"
"Wait!"
"What?" Emma asked looking at her.
"Do you wanna eat something?" Mary Margaret asked.
"Oh, no thanks," Emma said feeling a little embarrassed "I had something at Granny's before coming home"
"Okay," Mary Margaret nodded "Goodnight, Emma"
"Goodnight, Mary Margaret"
Emma walked up the stairs to her bedroom and crashed heavily in the middle of her bed.
She looked up to the ceiling and then smiled when flashes of her afternoon with Regina rushed behind her eyes.
It was ridiculous how much she missed her already!
Emma sat down on the bed and removed her boots before getting her phone from her jeans pocket and laying down properly on the bed.
Then she opened the messaging app and started to type.
"Hey,
How was your talk with Henry?"
Emma bit down her lower lip while staring at the screen as if the intensity of her stare could make Regina answer her at that instant.
But thirty seconds later, Regina still hadn't answered.
Emma grunted and put the phone on the bed before closing her eyes.
Suddenly, she could feel Regina under her again, her hands under her shirt, her nails scratching her skin lightly, her lips kissing Regina's, sucking on her lower lip before….
BEEP, BEEP!
Emma nearly jumped off the bed when the sound of her phone echoed inside the bedroom, opening her eyes all at once.
She stretched her hand to pick up the phone and smiled when she saw a text from Regina.
"It was surprisingly not as bad as I thought it would be.
At least he hasn't run away yet even though he wouldn't tell me where he disappeared off to this morning.
But he did promise it wouldn't happen again"
Emma bit her lower lip before typing her reply.
"Do you want me to ask him?
Maybe he'll tell me"
Emma looked at the screen while the three dots jumped before her eyes.
"It depends.
If you are asking him before his classes after I drop him off in front of the school, I think we'll have our answer already"
Emma smirked at the screen and rolled her eyes at the same time.
"Funny!
Who would guess you have a sense of humor?
I told you already, he wasn't with me"
Regina's answer came right the way:
"I'm delightful, dear.
And I told you already that I believe you.
Plus, Henry said the same thing"
Emma smiled at the screen when she read Regina's text. She knew Regina wasn't the kind of person who believed or even trust many people.
So to read that Regina was honest when she said she believed Emma, meant something to her.
"Thanks for believing me.
How was the rest of your day?"
Regina didn't take long to answer.
"I had a visit from Katheryn after you left.
Her husband is getting released from the hospital in two days and she wanted to invite me to his welcome back home party"
Emma bit her lower lip before answering that.
"Yeah, I know.
I was invited too.
Are you going to the party?"
Emma waited for her answer.
"Yes, I am.
Katheryn is my friend.
And I'm worried about her considering how your roommate seems to be acquainted with her husband"
Emma stared at the screen for a while before answering the text.
"Regina, this is none of our business.
They are all adults!
How about we talk about our date tomorrow?"
Hopefully, their upcoming date would be enough to change subjects.
Emma would have to ask Mary Margaret one day what was her deal with Regina.
Regina didn't seem to like Mary Margaret at all and Emma had a strange feeling that Mary Margaret was slightly scared of Regina.
Her phone beeped in her hands.
"Good subject change.
I have a few demands"
Emma smirked at the screen before typing:
"Of course you do.
What are your demands?"
Emma stared at the screen while the three dots were jumping.
"I don't want Henry to know we are going out on a date.
I think it's too soon to let him know about us.
Maybe we should meet at the place you are thinking about taking me?"
Shit!
Emma hadn't even thought about that.
But Regina was right, it was too soon to let Henry know about them, it could send him the wrong message.
Especially considering his fairy tale thing about Regina being The Evil Queen and Emma the Savior.
However, simply meeting Regina in the restaurant, didn't feel right.
Emma wanted to pick her up and give her flowers.
Court her!
As weird as that sounded.
For once, she wanted to do the right thing.
Because Regina was… she was different.
She was worth it!
Regina wasn't just a fling, Emma could feel that in her bones.
Regina was the one who would either heal her or destroy her until she was nothing but ashes.
Because Emma knew, she just knew she wouldn't survive a heartbreak coming from the brunette woman.
Regina was the one Emma couldn't survive.
Emma shook her head, pushing the dark thoughts out of her mind.
It was too soon for that, too dark.
Too much pressure to put into something so new.
No matter what that still small voice said inside of her, Emma would make things differently.
For herself, for Regina, and for Henry.
For once, she wouldn't run!
For once, she actually wanted to stay.
Emma bit her lower lip, thinking about her options.
Then she started to type:
"You are right, I think it's too soon to let the kid know about us.
But I don't want to just meet at the restaurant either, that's too informal, too cold, you know?
How about I park the bug a house down and meet you at the gate?
I'll text you to let you know I'm there"
Emma pressed send and waited for Regina's answer.
"I supposed that is acceptable.
I'll see you tomorrow at eight.
Sharp!
Now I have to go and check on Henry.
Make sure he is still inside his bedroom where I left him.
Have a good night, Miss Swan"
Emma rolled her eyes when she read the text.
"For the love of God Regina, it's Emma!
Emma!
Let me know if anything happens with the kid.
And I'll see you tomorrow.
Goodnight, Regina"
Regina text her back with a Goodnight, Miss Swan and Emma had no choice but to smile this time.
Tomorrow she was picking up Regina for their first date.
And for the first time in her life, she wasn't the sightlines afraid of what the outcome of this date would be.
If anything, she couldn't wait to start something that as Henry would say…
It's epic!