Author's note: Hi! Thanks for reading :). This is my first ever fanfiction, though I've read quite a few, so don't be afraid to let me know what you think! I'm totally open to constructive criticism or just plain compliments if you've got any for me. I plan to update regularly and have about 5 chapters, so if you like it, please follow me and turn on alerts!
ALSO: I realized I forgot to put a disclaimer in chapter 1, so here goes: I don't own any of Once Upon A Time, any characters or any of the plot. This is all borrowed stuff that's purely for your entertainment!
It had been a few days since Emma came to Storybrooke, and she was trying her best to spend time with the Mayor. She had fallen hard, but little did she know Regina was falling too. She felt love from Emma in a way she had never really been loved before. She would never admit it, but it felt nice to have someone that she could really talk to. They had become fast friends, but were both secretly hoping for more. Then, one night, there was a knock on Emma's hotel room door. "It's open!" she called, turning to see who was there. "Hello, Ms. Swan. It's Regina," a raspy voice responded, followed by a cough.
"Madame Mayor, are you– sick? What happened?"
"Yes, I'm a little under the weather, but it's not a big deal. I took three COVID tests before coming here, and pretty much everyone in town is vaccinated. It's not coronavirus, just a minor head cold."
"Oh, thank god," Emma replied. She had gone the full 2 years without getting COVID, and she wasn't about to contract it now. "Do you need anything?" she asked the brunette.
"No, I'm fine, I'm just– a-CHOO, excuse me– a little sick. I brought soup and a DVD of Titanic, so if you're free tonight, maybe we could watch this?" Emma was surprised, to say the least. She had sort of felt like Regina didn't want to be friends and was merely tolerating Emma, but this felt… genuine. Real. "O-of course! Come on in," she told the sick brunette, opening the door wider. Regina smiled gratefully as she settled on the bed.
"It's just s-so heartb-breaking," Regina sobbed. "W-why can't J-Jack fit on the d-door too?" she wailed, burying her face into Emma's shoulder. "I know, honey. It's really not fair, is it?" was the response. The blonde herself was tearing up at the movie, not that she'd tell that to Regina. She handed Regina the box of tissues. The Mayor took two, blew her nose, and looked up at Emma with big, teary eyes. "Thank you for k-keeping me company tonight," she whispered, a hitch still in her breath. Against her better judgment, Emma let her eyes travel down Regina's body and back to her face. You could get lost in her brown eyes, and Regina's lips were perfection. Emma knew she shouldn't, every instinct was telling her not to, but she leaned in and kissed Regina. As their lips met, Regina let out a small gasp of surprise, but quickly deepened the kiss. Emma felt more butterflies than she ever had before, and she could feel throughout her whole body that this was right. "Regina," she whispered, pulling away "What? What's wrong?" Regina looked worried. "Nothing, nothing, it's just late and you're sick, so I think we could both use some sleep." Regina nodded "You're probably right. I'll grab my things," she said, getting out of bed.
"No, don't leave! You can sleep here tonight. I want you here. C'mon, Regina," Emma pouted, hoping her babyish tactic would work. "Fine, OK. But just for tonight. And don't get all… handsy," Regina smirked. Emma grinned as the brunette made her way back into the bed. "By the way," Emma whispered, "You're, like, my new favorite person to kiss."
Regina rolled over to hide her blushing smile before uttering her reply: "Well, Ms. Swan, you're not so bad yourself."
And with that, Emma turned out the lights, wondering what her future with Regina held.
The next morning, Emma felt a hand reach over to her side of the bed. Her heart sped up as she realized what had happened: Regina had slept over. And sure, it's not like anything sexual happened other than a quick makeout session, but Emma sincerely hoped that Regina didn't regret it. "Last night was…" Regina trailed off. The blonde felt her heart drop, she could feel the word 'mistake' dancing on Regina's tongue. Finally, the Mayor finished her sentence "…great. For me at least. If you didn't like it that's fine don't worry about it I'm gonna go," Regina said. Emma sat straight up."Woah, woah, what? I had a great time with you! Don't jump to conclusions, Regina," she said. "For real, I really enjoyed it. All of it," said the blonde with a wink. Regina's eyes looked so wide and innocent. She bent down and kissed Emma, before pulling back with a sour look on her face. "Go! Brush!" she commanded, pointing to the bathroom. Emma was taken aback by the Mayor's sharp tone but let out a giggle as soon as Regina was done. "Yes, Regina," she said playfully, her feet dragging on Granny's old carpet. Regina sat on the bed and removed her pajamas, leaving only her underclothes clinging to her body. After a couple of failed attempts at a seductive pose, she decided to hide under the covers and give Emma a little surprise.
The blonde came back from the bathroom, more awake than before. "How's my breath now, Gina?" She asked, leaning closer to Regina's face. "Mmm, minty fresh," Regina replied, going in for a kiss. Their mouths collided and it felt comfortable, as if this is what they had been meant to be doing their whole lives. Emma let out a soft moan as she lifted the bedsheets and saw Regina's half-naked body. "Emma?"
"Yes?" Emma said, suggestively
"Don't call me Gina."
An hour later, both women were thoroughly satisfied. As they lounged on the bed, Emma noticed Regina was looking contemplative. "A penny for your thoughts," she said, snuggling into the Mayor. "Oh, I'm just wondering what will happen when your son comes back from camp. You'll have to go back to New York, won't you?"
"I hadn't really thought about that. Yeah, he has to go back. He goes to school there and I have a great job. But I'm really starting to love it here, so maybe this can just be… a fling. And I want it to be more than that, but I don't see how it could be."
Regina took a moment to think before speaking. "OK," she said steadily. "I think that sounds nice. A fling! I've never had one before, I won't get too attached," she said.
Those last 5 words broke Emma's heart, just a little.
