Emma paced about the kitchen, hands wringing together as emerald orbs shifted to the front door every so often. She had just completed dinner mere moments before; the scent of spices and boiled potatoes still lingered in the air. Her stomach would have growled if it didn't feel like someone was currently squeezing it.
Swallowing, the blonde stopped herself and stood, her entire body trembling. Why was she so nervous? Or was she excited? Honestly, Emma couldn't tell. The butterflies in her stomach were like a tornado, making her feel sick.
She was just having dinner with Regina. An anniversary dinner.
"Just calm down…" she muttered under her breath, eyes falling to the door once again when a soft thud sounded within the hallway.
The door hadn't opened.
"Neighbors," she murmured, turning completely away from the door to let her eyes land on the dining table that she had set up earlier. It held two plates of steak, potatoes, and green beans and a clear, glass vase that held two blood red roses between them. It wasn't anything special, so she had modestly thought.
Emma's attention drew toward the door once again. This time it was Regina with a key in the lock. She closed her eyes for a brief moment, a hand slipping into her pocket to make sure the ring was still there. When her fingers encountered the warm metal, she felt herself relax.
"It smells divine, Emma," Regina's voice sounded from the doorway as she slipped inside, peeling her jacket off to hang up on the coat rack along with her purse. She was next to Emma within moments, her spicy perfume filling the blonde's senses.
Emma offered her a toothy grin as heat crept up her neck. "It's just steak."
The brunette chuckled softly, slipping her arms around her lover's waist to pull the younger woman towards her. The blonde complied with the action and fell against Regina, eyes closing as she inhaled deeply the scent of the older woman. She relaxed.
"We should eat before it gets cold," Emma murmured against the brunette's shoulder and pressed a kiss to the fabric of her blouse before pulling back, a crooked smile on her face.
Regina smirked and leaned forward, pressing a kiss to her cheek, whispering, "of course, that would be a shame."
The words sent a shiver down her spine. Anything that woman said could end Emma right on the spot.
The moment Regina pulled away from her personal space, the two found their seats at the dining table and began to feast. It was the brunette who had spoken first as she popped a piece of steak into her a mouth, earning a delicious sound that already had Emma squirming in her seat.
"What do you think?" She queried, eyes falling to the piece of meat for a moment before lifting to encounter whiskey hues.
The red lips turned upward in response, a low, melodic voice following, "delicious. You cooked it just how I like it, my love."
"Oh, good! I thought I undercooked it. I only cooked mine a bit longer and it's still really pink." Forest orbs fell to the steak on her own plate.
"It's a bit rarer than I prefer, but I don't mind. I haven't tried it like this before and, I must admit, it's better." She purred and cut off another strip to eat. "Thank you, my dove, I appreciate all of this. You really didn't have to-"
"But I wanted to do something special for you." Emma offered her a small and sweet grin before going back to her own meal. "It's our second anniversary, after all."
"You're cute." The older woman shook her head, the corners of her mouth twitching.
The blonde batted her eyes playfully, the smile on her face only growing. "I know."
Shaking her head once again, Regina merely chuckled before going back to her meal. The two of them continued their dinner with minimal conversation about each other's days until they had finished with Emma quickly popping up from her seat. The blonde was beaming as she cleared the table, urging Regina to stay put as she brought the dirty dishes to the kitchen.
Her hands were shaking by the time she reached the apple pie that she had made earlier that day. With a quick glance behind her, Emma cut into the pie, carefully measuring out six pieces before heading towards the fridge where she collected a can of whipped cream.
She looked toward the dining area once again to see Regina watching her with a quirked brow. Offering a sheepish smile, the blonde quickly turned back to dish out two pieces of pie, carefully squirting the cream onto one of the pieces.
"Stop staring at me!" Emma didn't look back that time, but did after she spoke to find a guilty brunette staring back at her.
"I like watching you," she said.
"It's supposed to be a surprise."
"Oh, fine, you petulant blonde." Wrinkling her nose fondly, the brunette guided her attention elsewhere, leaving Emma to the second piece of pie.
Inhaling deeply, Emma fished the ring out of her pocket and carefully placed it on the middle of the slice. She had cleaned the little piece of metal thoroughly earlier that day. She didn't want to imagine the germs that it had held.
Making a face, she quickly covered the ring with the whipped cream and picked up a couple of forks before joining Regina. Her stomach was knotting once again as those butterflies came back to life with a vengeance.
The brunette frowned slightly when the piece of pie was set in front of her. "Are you alright, honey?"
Emma nodded, sorting out a bite with a forced smile. "Why?"
"I... don't know. You look a bit pale, is all." Regina tilted her head slightly, but when Emma offered her a more genuine smile, the creases on her face had softened. "So, pie?"
"Apple pie." She slipped the fork into her mouth with the uneaten bite and chewed, eyes closing as she allowed the flavors to burst on her tongue.
Regina was silent for a moment which had the blonde's eyes opening, only to find an expression that she had seen outside of eating habits. She blushed, but the brunette smiled. "If at all possible, I would make love to this pie."
"You can have the next best thing." Emma pressed her lips together, her entire face florid.
"Mm, but it's pie. You're the best thing."
The older woman took another bite, slowly slipping the fork from between her lips with dark, hungry eyes.
"Stoppit..." Emma found her attention directed toward her own pie and the fluffy white cream on top.
"Of course, my love." Regina mewled, digging a finger into the whipped cream.
Emma's heart skipped a beat when she noticed this and looked at the other woman's plate. Did she know? But when Regina pulled her finger away, she had merely collected some of the whipped cream on her finger. Emerald orbs followed as that digit disappeared between crimson lips.
"Why whipped cream?" She asked, scooping some of said item up with her fork to combine with her next bite of pie. "Your pie is perfect."
Emma found herself shrugging, idling playing with her fork. "I like it."
A soft noise was her response as the brunette popped that piece into her mouth. Emma found herself watching as Regina continued to devour the slice; each bite getting closer to the ring. She had lost her appetite long ago.
Unfortunately, this caught her lover's attention. She was one bite away from the ring; Emma knew it. "Why aren't you eating your pie, sweetheart?"
Emma quickly cut a piece off the slice to pop into her mouth, her cheeks blooming with heat once again.
Regina chuckled softly and went back to her own desert. Emma watched as she slowly chewed, her leg bouncing and her heart racing.
The brunette lifted the fork to her mouth, a brow quirking. The younger woman silently urged her on until the older woman had unknowingly complied, sticking that bite into her mouth. Then she made a face.
"What the hell?" Her jaw worked as she attempted to identify what was wrong, her fingers disappearing into her mouth as she picked out the foreign object. Swallowing the rest of her pie, she gazed down at the pie-covered ring, eyes widening as she worked over her confusion.
And when she had, her eyes were glistening and Emma was biting her lip.
"Emma...?" The name was naught but a whisper, cracking on the last syllable.
The blonde laughed uncomfortably, her face aflame. She attempted to work over her own emotions and sort out the myriad of thoughts rushing amidst her brain space in that moment. She had completely blanked verbally, yet her brain was screaming.
"I... Um..." Her eyes fell to her half-eaten apple pie as if it held the answers; or her confidence. She swallowed thickly then lifted her gaze, the words falling from her lips as if they weren't even her own. "I-I know it hasn't been long or anything... I mean, it's been two years, but, ever since that day we moved from Storybrooke, this has been on my mind. I mean- I knew right then that I wanted to marry you some day, and I know for a fact that, now, I want to spend the rest of my life with you.
"It's all cheesy as hell... But I love you and I know I'm young, but I also know what I want and what I want is you. So, Gina... Uh, heh, um... Will you marry me?"
She nearly lost the final words – that question – in the end. Her brain had finally caught up with her mouth, but she didn't regret a single word.
Emma's heart squeezed when she saw fat, crystalline tears roll down her lover's cheeks, but she knew they weren't that of sorrow. Regina pressed the side of her wrist to her mouth as she attempted to regain herself, but a sob shook her body.
"Y-yes. Of course- Of course, I'll marry you!" The brunette finally managed, her words hoarse and weak, but Emma heard them. The blonde was on the other side of the table in a matter of seconds, holding the older woman as she reached for her.
"Good," she murmured softly, a hand softly stroking her lover's trembling back.
The shuddering sobs soon turned into that of rumbling laughter, the brunette pulling away only slightly to helplessly smile at the younger woman on the floor before her. "I love you, Emma Swan. You're spontaneous and I love that."
"Spontaneous?" Emma blinked slightly, a hand moving up to wipe away the tears staining Regina's cheeks.
"This was the last thing that I expected when I came home today." The brunette sniffled, chuckling once again after she did so. "Gods, I'm a mess."
"No, you're not." The blonde tucked a few pieces of hair behind the older woman's ears, grinning widely at the smile that it had earned. She leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Regina's nose before standing to reach for a napkin.
Regina watched her. "Are you sure about that?"
"Yes." Emma smirked, handing Regina the napkin before plucking the ring out of her hand. She quickly cleaned the pie residue off on her shirt and handed it back after Regina finished blowing her nose.
That's when the brunette finally took a good look at the piece of jewelry, her eyes widening once again. "This is beautiful, Emma. I- I simply cannot thank you enough."
"You don't need to thank me." The blonde reached for her lover's hand and squeezed it. "I should be thanking you for accepting me."
Regina narrowed her eyes. "Don't you say that."
Emma merely rolled her eyes, her cheeky smile remaining. "Why don't you put that on?"
"You're just itching to see me with a ring, aren't you?" The older woman pressed a kiss to her young lover's hand before slipping the ring onto her finger. She frowned when it had stopped at her knuckle.
"Oh, shit, don't tell me it's too small..." Emma frowned, watching as the brunette attempted to slide the ring over the joint to no avail. She slumped against the table. "Dammit."
Regina only laughed, though, and went to take it off. "Don't worry about it, Emma. We can always get it re-sized." She tugged at the ring, but it didn't budge. She tried harder with the same results. Then she began to panic. "It's not coming off!"
"Uh... ah... crap!" Emma looked around the table as if something were to help the situation. "Butter!"
"Butter?" Regina was still tugging at the ring, her voice a few octaves higher as her desperation took over. "I will cut it off, if I have to."
The blonde stopped mid-step and whirled around to stare at the older woman, eyes narrowing slightly. "You're not cutting your finger off. We'll get it off." Then sheepishly muttered, "somehow."
"Somehow." Regina caught the word, head shaking.
Emma frowned and quickly gathered the tub of butter because that should work, right? She made her way back to Regina, expecting the woman to be holding a knife at that point, but instead, she was met with a blank brunette, staring at nothing in particular.
"We're going to have to go to the hospital," she muttered. "They're going to have to amputate my finger. I'm never going to have an index finger ever again. All of the kids will laugh at me."
"Gina..." The blonde knitted her brows together, slowly setting the butter onto the table. She took a few tentative steps towards the older woman as if she were about to explode at any given moment.
Large, chestnut eyes fell upon her as Emma approached. She could see the panic swirling within them, but the specks of humor overwhelmed it. Trying not to smile, she calmly dropped to her knees in front of the brunette, gathering up her hands.
"I'll still love you, Gina. You still have nine good fingers." A salacious smirk painted her features. "You don't really use that one on me anyways."
This had earned those once large eyes to become tiny slits and a set of thin lips to match. "I'm glad to know that you would single-handedly let my finger get amputated because I don't use it on you."
"What? No!" Emma withdrew her hands from Regina's, raising them in a stop motion. "I didn't say that. I just said I'd be alright with it if it had to come down to that."
A soft bubble of laughter fell from the brunette's lips, eyes mirthful. "I'm kidding, Emma. But, joking aside, we need to figure out how the hell to get this thing off."
"Well, I heard the more you panic, the less likely it'll come off." She shrugged in response, eyes falling to the ring that was starting to turn Regina's finger purple.
"I've doomed myself, haven't I?" Regina started once again at her finger, this time twisting the ring slowly. "The color is frightening. If I don't get this off soon, we just might have to take a trip to the hospital."
"I'm sure we can get it…" she said, uncertainly. "Keep trying that. I'll rub some butter on it."
"Does butter really work?"
"I donno." Emma frowned slightly as she grabbed the container, dipping a finger into the yellow substance. She shooed her lover's hand away for a moment to coat the ring and the skin surrounding it. "Now try it."
"I feel ridiculous," the brunette muttered, spreading the oily substance around a bit as it melted from the heat of her desperate fingers. She made a soft noise when the ring finally budged and continued to twist at it until the ring had flown off, clinking on the ground somewhere near.
"It worked! Gods, Emma, you're a genius!"
Emma whooped in victory, eyes falling to the floor to locate the engagement ring next to Regina's chair. She quickly picked up the galling piece of jewelry and examined it, head slowly shaking.
"I'm stupid, really. I thought our ring sizes were the same. I mean, I don't know. It fit me pretty well." The blonde pocketed the ring before standing from her spot with a soft grunt, stretching her sore muscles.
"You would think." She gave her fiancée a wry smile, taking one of her hands to look over. "Your fingers are a bit thinner than mine."
"Oh." Emma pressed her lips together. "I guess it's a good thing that the jewelry lady said I could come back and re-size it."
"Indeed." Regina nodded and settled back against her chair, massaging her abused finger. "We can go there tomorrow and get things sorted out."
"I'm sorry." The younger woman dropped her gaze. "This was supposed to be happy and I fucked it all up."
Emma felt a hand on her knee that had caused her to lift her gaze, meeting with soft, chestnut hues. "Don't apologize, Emma. I am happy. This…" She shook her head, dark locks bouncing against her cheeks. When she spoke again, her voice cracked. "This was perfect… and that you took the time and the thought to do all of this for me, Emma... I'm happy. More than happy."
The weight that had been placed on Emma's being seemed to have lifted and she smiled, something soft and sweet. Her hand drew to the one still on her knee and she squeezed it. "I'm glad, Gina. You're- You deserve it. Well, maybe not the whole ring getting stuck thing…"
Regina's laughter filled Emma's senses once again and she grinned even wider. "I love you."
"And I love you," she murmured softly, leaning in when Regina had done so, their lips meeting briefly. "We should finish the pie, yeah?"
And the two had done so, Emma's appetite back in full action, demanding a second slice. Regina laughed, shook her head, and asked another for herself, poking at the whipped cream when she received it.
After they had finished with their dessert, they quickly joined forces and tackled the trail of dirty dishes that Emma had used to cook their dinner. That had led them to their current position on the couch Emma holding Regina as the older woman curled up on her lap, eyes on the movie that was put on.
It was Emma's turn to pick the movie and, of course, she had chosen something related to horror.
"Always with the horror," Regina chuckled softly, snuggling further into the blonde as she made herself comfortable. "You should be lucky that I don't mind."
"Which is another reason why I like you so much." Emma's fingers slid down the older woman's side, resting on her hip.
"Now I'm curious of the other reasons."
"Shh, the movie's about to start." The blonde smirked and bent to press a kiss to her hair.
Regina made a noise of discontent, but hadn't said a word in protest. Emma continued to smirk and watched the movie, fingers lacing with the brunette's. The two had viewed the film, making a remark here or there about effects and cheesy lines until it had ended.
The brunette had taken advantage of this to pick her own movie that brought them later into the night until two pairs of eyes grew heavy. They had agreed, after the movie had ended, to retire to the bedroom. The two had welcomed the warmth of the bed and held each other as they had meant to drift off.
But Emma hadn't, urging herself to stay awake for a few minutes longer. She wanted to soak up the day and feel the woman in her arms. Regina was her fiancée now. Her mind was blown at that little fact. This time two years ago, she never would have imagined that this would happen; that she would be marrying her high school English teacher.
The smile that she wore was hidden in the night. She wanted to shout from the rooftops and hold Regina out like in The Lion King. Of course, that wouldn't happen. Regina wouldn't let her do that. But damned if she wouldn't try.
She stifled a chuckle, letting her lover's soft snores fill the air instead.
Emma would have to tell her parents. That had set a few butterflies free to flutter about her stomach. She wasn't sure how the two of them would react, especially Mary Margaret. Her mother had grown to accept Regina and all her glory over the past year, but Emma knew that she would still never get over the fact that the brunette was much older than her.
Mary Margaret would have to deal, though, because there was no way that Emma was ever going to give up Regina. Not even if her life depended on it.
And David, well… He was more than alright with it. But the man had always been accepting. Though, he could still never quite bring his eye to meet with Regina's.
Emma let her thoughts drift to her friends. Ruby and Belle would surely produce a brick or two. The blonde had never mentioned proposing to the two of them; not even the notion of marriage. The idea of her friends attempting to set up a bachelorette party floated around. Ruby would do anything as an excuse to rent out one of the rooms that barely got used.
Excitement filled her once again at the thought. It would take all her strength not to dial Storybrooke up right now. A large grin split her face. She had nothing else to do tomorrow, aside from re-sizing the ring. Regina had to get up for work in the morning, but Emma had the day off.
The blonde couldn't wipe the smile from her face, even as she attempted to settle down and close her eyes. She let her thoughts roam once again, thinking of phone calls and wedding cake.
Emma didn't know when she had fallen asleep, but she knew that when she had woken, Regina was gone. She frowned when she found the space next to her was cold and vacant. Sitting up, the blonde glanced over to her phone on the night stand and turned the screen on.
"It's ten?"
There went her chance of seeing Regina before the older woman had left for work. A brief thought of tucking back into bed crossed her mind, but she had pushed it away along with the blankets. She needed to get up. She wasn't sure when the jewelry store had closed. Even though it was only ten, she wanted to get the ring fixed before Regina came home.
And if she was finished early enough, she could catch Regina at work and give it to her there.
Smirking, the blonde popped completely out of bed, fueled by just that as she searched through the closet for something clean to wear. She tugged on a pair of denim jeans and a flannel button-up before finding her boots.
"Better not forget my head," she muttered to herself, pulling her hands out of the pockets that she knew the ring hadn't been in. Emma shook her head and picked the ring up from the end table, smiling when she saw a sticky note beneath it.
Regina had written her a reminder of her ring size.
The blonde stuffed the note along with the ring into her pocket and left the bedroom. She quickly located her car keys and wasted no time leaving. Within minutes, she was on the road to the jewelry store with fuzzy directions in her head.
After locating the store, Emma had made haste to get inside and find the woman that had helped her the day before. She had found the saleswoman helping another customer and waited patiently, eyes scanning the rings that she had rejected the previous day.
"What can I help you with today?" The kind woman asked, typing something into her computer.
"Well, I bought this the other day," Emma started, digging the ring out of her pocket along with Regina's note and the receipt. "I have my receipt if you need it."
"Are you looking to return it?"
"Oh, no! I needed to make it a little bit bigger." She sheepishly muttered, dumping the ring onto the counter. "Fingers are different sizes, who knew?"
The saleswoman chuckled softly. "I can help you with that. What size are you looking at?"
"Uh, whatever's on this paper. Mind the butter." Emma handed her the little sticky note and offered her a meek grin.
"I can do that! It won't take too long. You may browse at your leisure. I will return shortly." She picked up the ring and headed away, leaving Emma to browse at her leisure.
The blonde bit her lip as she looked around the store, her attention getting caught by every shiny object known to man. She didn't know how much time had passed when the saleswoman had returned with her ring, but she was glad when she had and thanked her before leaving.
Emma checked her phone when she reached the car. It was a quarter after noon. She still had plenty of time to visit Regina at work and hopefully catch her during the lunch hour. Pulling out of her parking spot, she did just that, and tried to configure a route to get to the school that Regina had taught at.
The college position that Regina had originally sought hadn't been open this school year. The vacant spot had been filled with a competing applicant when Regina had declined the offer in her panic and they hadn't needed another English teacher, which was unfortunate because Emma had been looking forward to attending her classes once again.
Fortunately, a more permanent opportunity had been available for this school year when a high school had accepted Regina's application. One of the English teachers had retired last year and they needed that spot filled. The brunette hadn't hesitated to land the job since she had grown weary of substituting for classes that she didn't have much of a grasp on. She enjoyed teaching her students, and knowing the names of them.
And that had also meant that Emma knew of a permanent place that the brunette was at in case she ever felt like dropping by, like now. The blonde pulled into the parking lot, grunting in distaste at all the vehicles. Storybrooke's students never had this many cars. She could have easily found a spot there.
"Clusterfuck if I have ever seen one," she muttered, pulling into a space at the far end of the parking lot.
Shaking her head with another scoff, the blonde exited her Bug and locked it up before making her mile journey to the front door. She had done the same, prior, when she last visited Regina. It was far warmer then than it was now, unfortunately. She shivered and folded her arms, wishing that she had grabbed her jacket before leaving. Perhaps she could snag Regina's before she left.
Emma pulled open the glass door and entered the foyer, eyes falling on a few students that sat inside. She offered them an awkward smile before heading towards the desk.
"How can I help you?" The man behind the desk smiled, beady eyes behind thick framed glasses looked up.
"I'm, uh, here to see a teacher." She glanced momentarily through the second set of glass doors where a few students walked down a hallway. "I think she's on lunch. Regina Mills?"
"Of course. Can I have your name, please?" He picked up the receiver to a corded phone and pressed it to his ear.
"Emma Swan," she answered, eyes on the man as he rung up her fiancée's classroom.
He shared a brief conversation with her before tapping on a piece of paper, hanging the phone up. "If I could get you to sign that, I'll give you a visitor's pass. When you're ready to leave, check out here with me and you're all set."
"Thank you." Emma could have giggled as she signed the paper and took the lanyard. She briefly wondered what Regina thought about receiving that call. The brunette hadn't been expecting her to come with the ring. Emma had told her last night that she would surprise her with it when she arrived home.
Nodding toward the man, she reached for the door as he buzzed it open and filtered into the hallway. Now, where was Regina's classroom, again? Biting the inside of her cheek, Emma took a right where the main hallway seemed to divide into smaller ones. It looked vaguely familiar.
She took a left down the first hallway, eyes squinting at the room numbers until they fell upon the familiar set of Regina's own. That, and her name was written directly below. She grinned and dug into her pocket to fish out the ring.
The students appeared to be at lunch and hopefully Regina would be having hers, as well. It was around noon the last time she visited; she was sure of it. So, Emma flung open the door, spotting Regina right away in her desk, and shouted, "I have a gift, my queen!"
Regina jumped at the sound of her lover's voice, wide, whiskey eyes falling upon the blonde. Her entire face grew florid and it wasn't until Emma had taken a few more steps into the classroom did she find that it was still full of students. She faltered under their stare.
"Emma." The brunette plucked off a pair of reading glasses and stood, eyes narrowing on the blonde.
"Shit, I thought you had lunch." Emma squeaked, her feet moving despite her protesting mind. She drowned in spicy perfume as the metal bit into her hand.
"Must I always remind you to mind your language?" Regina's words were an urgent whisper. "What the hell are you doing here?"
"I thought you had lunch," she reiterated, her entire face no doubt as red as the gem in the ring that she held. She extended said hand when her thoughts ventured upon it and gave a guilty chuckle. "I got your ring re-sized."
Regina's eyes fell upon the shiny object, her face softening for a moment as she took the ring. "Thank you, sweetheart."
Emma smirked. "Of course, baby."
"My lunch has already ended." Her face bloomed once again a vibrant shade of pink.
"Well, damn." The blonde frowned. It had taken her longer than she thought to get here. With a soft chuckle, she nervously rubbed the back of her neck. "I guess I'll get out of your hair."
"I'm sorry, Emma."
"It's fine. It's my fault." She shrugged, arm dropping to her side. "You should put it on. Make sure it fits and if it doesn't, I'll get the butter again."
"Butter…" Regina shook her head, warily slipping the ring onto her finger with baited breath. She exhaled with a large grin when the ring had easily slid all the way on and lifted her hand to show Emma. "That butter must have oiled it right up."
"Or the size is right." Emma chuckled, resisting the urge to press a victory kiss to her lover's lips.
The brunette teacher's lips twitched. "Now you know it fits."
"Yeah, yeah, I'm leaving." She wrinkled her nose, taking a step back. "See you later."
"Goodbye, dear." Regina nodded before taking her seat once again though her eyes never left Emma.
"Oh, uh, Gina, dinner?" The blonde took another step forward, her eyes falling momentarily to the pea coat on the back of Regina's chair.
"I'll pick something up." She quirked a brow. "Are we stalling?"
"It's cold outside," she murmured softly, hand falling to said black material, but Regina slapped it away.
"Perhaps grabbing your own jacket would have taken care of that problem."
Emma whined and backed away, arms crossing. "That parking lot is huge, Gina."
But the teacher merely shook her head, the smile on her face twitching. "Get going, you petulant blonde. I'll see you at home. I love you."
"Yeah, if I don't freeze to death. Love you, too." Emma huffed for emphasis before turning to leave, a hand raising up to wave at the woman behind her. The laughter finally came, trailing behind Emma until the door had closed.
Emma settled on the couch when she had returned home, soaking up the warmth that the apartment had provided. She wouldn't curse Regina for not giving her the coat. It was her own fault for rushing out earlier, and the brunette needed to fend off the cold, anyways.
She grabbed the fleece throw and wrapped it around her body, digging her phone out of her pocket. Since she had the time, she thought to start calling up Storybrooke to make the announcement. Her insides twisted at the thought, even as the line rang for her first lucky victim. Hopefully her convenience wasn't someone else's bother.
"Hello?" The voice answered from the other side.
Emma bit her lip. "Hey, David. I'm not bothering you, am I?"
There was some shuffling on the other line before David had answered, "no, of course not. Is something wrong?"
"Is Mary Margaret with you?"
"She's at work, right now. I'm patrolling. Why?"
The blonde frowned at this information. She would have to make a separate call to Mary Margaret unless, of course, she could get David to tell his wife for her. "I've gotta tell you something. I need to tell her, too, but I can call her later."
"What is it, honey?" She could hear the concern laced in his words.
"Nothing bad, just that I'm getting married, is all."
"Oh, okay, I- Wait." There was a slight pause as he drank in those words. "Did you just say that you're getting married?"
Emma laughed nervously, nodding to no one in particular. "Yesterday was our anniversary and I proposed to her. Gina said yes."
"Emma… Are you sure you're doing the right thing, here? You're still young."
Her jovial mood soon vanished. "Yes, David, I'm sure. I wouldn't have done it if I wasn't."
"Emma, I know that you're a smart girl. I'm only trying to look out for you, okay?"
"I know, David. It's… Everyone looks at me like I'm some kid that can't make an adult decision. Sometimes it feels like Gina is the only one that sees me as an equal." She frowned slightly as soon as she had realized what she had said and what she had sounded like. "I'm… I don't feel like I'm on everyone else's level."
"I know, Emma, and I'm not saying that you are a kid that can't make an adult decision. You're more than capable of it, but I also know that you tend to run head-first into things."
Emma sagged into the couch, soaking in what the sheriff had said. She knew that he was right. She tended to go into things without thinking. Her entire relationship with Regina seemed to be based off just that. She should have known that her actions would bite her in the ass later in life.
"Look, Emma, I'm not going to stop you from living your life, alright?" David spoke, breaking the prolonged silence. It was then that Emma realized she hadn't said a word. "I'm happy for both you and Regina. I can see how much you two love each other. Just know that I'm always here for you."
"You're implying we won't last long." Emma muttered coldly, fingers digging into the fleece material as tears stung her eyes.
"Not at all, Emma. Sometimes you meet the one you're meant for early in life and it can be just about anyone. And you'll know it when you see them that you'll somehow be in each other's lives until they end." There was a long pause and with it, Emma knew that he was smiling as he thought of Mary Margaret. She smiled, too, for a moment. "Sometimes it can get hard, maybe even to the point where you're lost and you think that it's the end and everything hurts. But if you hold it out, seek out guidance and reassurance, you'll see that it strengthens your relationship. Just don't give up, or else you'll be searching for the right one that will never come."
Emma soaked in his words, her attention on the swath of white clouds stretched across a canvas of blue. Every word that he had spoken rang true. Perhaps her initial attraction to Regina was akin to what he had said; she knew, somewhere deep down, that the two of them would be in each other's lives one way or another, even if not at that very moment.
But she knew it now. She knew that she wanted Regina there with her day in and day out. When she was without that woman, she was thinking about her, and when she wasn't thinking about her, she was more than likely holding her close. Emma, ever the sap that she had become, was smiling once again like an idiot.
That smile told her why she had proposed and why she wouldn't give one thought otherwise.
"That's why I want to marry her," she finally said, her voice soft as she withdrew from her thoughts. "I mean; I honestly don't understand the big deal about marriage. We'll be just like we are right now, but with a ring and a document. Why I proposed… I don't know why, honestly. I just felt… compelled to."
David's laughter echoed in Emma's ear, but it didn't leave her almost swooning as Regina's did. "I know what you mean. When I proposed to your mother, I felt the same way, but she wanted to get married. It was her dream. It's weird, but it's worth it. Only small things are different and it's easier to bite someone's head off if they hit on your wife."
"Oh, believe me, they won't be having any private bits if they hit on Gina." Emma felt herself bristle at the thought. She didn't like people so much as looking at Regina when they were out. She hadn't come across anyone that had taken an advance, though, thankfully.
The sheriff laughed once again. "I can't let you go if you beat the snot out of someone down there, but I'll try to bail you out."
"I'll make sure Gina will call you when that happens." Emma grinned widely.
"Hopefully it won't come down to that."
"I make no promises," she said, pushing the blanket off when it got too warm. "So, uh, you gonna tell Mary Margaret?"
There was a long pause. "I think it's best that you do it. Remember how mad she got the last time?"
"All too well."
He chuckled. "She should be home in a couple of hours."
Emma pushed herself up from the couch, sighing softly. "Alright. I'll see if I can catch her before Gina gets home." She moved toward the kitchen, unconsciously grabbing the canister of coffee grounds. "I still have to call Ruby and Belle."
"Well, in that case, I'll let you go."
"Oh, you don't have to. I don't have to call them right now." She frowned, filling the reservoir with water.
"I need to get going, anyhow. I'll talk to you later, alright? Tell me the date."
"Ah, yeah, a date. Huh." Emma would have to bring that up with Regina later. She'd honestly be happy with having it on their anniversary. "I will when we get it all figured out."
"Alright, Emma. I love you, okay? Be safe."
She shifted slightly in her spot and meekly responded, "I love you, too. I will."
The two said their goodbyes and hung up, leaving Emma to turn around to stare at the brewing coffee. She sighed. She knew that she would have to face Mary Margaret herself. The woman would only be more furious if she heard it through David.
Shaking those thoughts aside, Emma scrolled through her phone to locate Belle's number. She pressed the phone up to her ear and hoped the coffee would be soon done. Idly, she drummed her fingers on the counter as she waited for the line to pick up and when it didn't, she huffed and looked for Ruby's number instead. Where there was a Ruby, there was a Belle.
The line picked up almost immediately. "What the hell do you want?"
"Excuse me?" Emma's brows rose at Ruby's tone.
"Oh, sorry, Ems. I thought you were that loser that keeps bugging me." There was a distant voice in the background and Ruby spoke Emma's name. "Belle says hi."
"Tell her I said hi!" Emma giggled softly when her friend had repeated her greeting to the distant Belle. "What loser?"
"Victor. He's still in town. He's been to the diner a lot and I swear he's stalking me. I talked with him a couple times, he isn't too bad, but he keeps calling me and askin' if I want to hook up."
Emma wrinkled her nose at the thought, memories of his vile words toward Regina briefly crossed her mind. She didn't like that boy one bit. "Why would you talk with that creep? That's all he wants is to get laid."
Ruby snorted with laughter. "I know. He talks up all the waitresses. But there was this one night and I felt kinda sorry for him. He didn't even try to molest me."
"That's a surprise," she said, turning to pour herself a cup of coffee. "So why the hell didn't Belle answer her phone?"
"Oh, she doesn't have it with her. She left it in her room."
"Well, if she's there with you, then put me on speaker."
"You already are." She could hear Belle giggle those words, her voice much louder.
"So, what makes you decide to grace us with a call?" Ruby questioned.
Emma smirked and took a sip of the hot beverage in her mug. "I'm engaged."
There was a squeal on the other line, causing Emma to pull the phone away from her ear.
"Holy shit! You're engaged? To Regina?"
"No, to a fucking tree," she clucked, a wry smile on her face. "Yes, to Regina! I proposed to her last night."
"Why didn't you tell us? Ruby would have made you a party and everything." She could hear Belle smirk and the light skin-on-skin contact of a slap.
"Only a little surprise. How big is the rock?"
"Not that big. It's a ruby."
"Hey! Just like me!" Ruby giggle.
Emma laughed and brought her mug back to the living area, setting the porcelain on the coffee table before she settled onto the couch.
"So, when are you getting married?"
"Ruby! They just got engaged."
"I don't know yet. Gina's at work and we haven't talked about it." She shrugged and leaned forward to take her mug. "I'll let you know when we do. You better be there."
"I wouldn't miss it for the world. Are we gonna be your bridesmaids?"
"Who else?" Emma chuckled and took a sip of her coffee, letting the warmth of it seep throughout her being. She closed her eyes for a moment and leaned back. "So, when are you two getting married?"
That had caught Ruby off guard.
"I don't think that's gonna happen any time soon." She finally sputtered with a chuckling Belle.
"We couldn't even dream to afford that. Ruby doesn't even have her own place."
"Hey! The Bed and Breakfast counts."
Belle scoffed and Emma laughed, shaking her head as her two friends continued to bicker. "If you don't stop, I'm going to hang up."
"Oh, fine. See what you started, Em?" Ruby's words were a laugh. "So, how did you propose?"
"You're not going to believe what happened…" Emma started, explaining about dinner and the pie, and didn't skimp on the details of the ring. The three were laughing, and harder so when Emma had explained the embarrassing scene in Regina's classroom earlier that day.
After a while of talking nonsense, Ruby was called away to the diner, leaving Belle and Emma who had decided to end the call after a small conversation. Emma set her cellphone down when Belle had hung up and stood from the couch with her chilled mug, ready to get herself another cup and wait until Regina came home.
Emma had finished the first pot of coffee when she looked to her phone for the time, once again. Regina would be on her way home from work, detoured by dinner. She should have enough time to contact Mary Margaret if the woman was finished with work.
Swallowing, the blonde searched for Mary Margaret's name under her contacts, her stomach knotting up once again. This was another conversation that she wasn't looking forward to. She would, no doubt, get the same spiel that David had told her, but tenfold.
As the line rang, Emma imagined how the conversation would go. Her mother would tell her how young she is and how she should wait and not make any decisions that she would later regret in life. Then she would probably tell her how Regina had forced her hand to do this and that she shouldn't have to be tied down at such a young age.
Mary Margaret had angered her before the woman had even had a chance to speak.
"Hey, Emma! David said that you wanted to talk to me?"
She blinked. "Oh, yeah. Uh…"
"Are you alright, honey?" Her voice sounded concerned. Emma could hear her frown.
"No. I mean, yeah, I am. I just- I have something to tell you." She bit her lip, eyes falling to the empty mug in front of her.
"… are you pregnant, Emma?"
The question stole the air right out of her lungs. She could have laughed if she hadn't been so shocked that something like that was asked of her. "No, Mary Margaret!"
"Oh, thank goodness. You're far too young for that."
Emma pressed her lips together. "I'm… engaged to Regina."
The line was silent for a moment. Emma prepared herself for the brunt of it. "Really? When?"
"Last night. I proposed to her and she said yes."
More silence. "Wow… I can't say that I was expecting that."
"You're not angry?" Emma found the question falling from her lips before her brain could even process it.
"Why would I be angry, Emma? I'm happy for you!"
Her words had Emma's brain turning off. "Are you Mary Margaret?"
The woman on the other line laughed. "David may or may not have already told me. He tried to tell me not to get angry when you called and eventually let it slip. I was never angry, Emma. Surprised, maybe, but not angry. I know that I can go on and on and that you won't listen and that you'll do what you want anyways. It's your life and I won't stop you from living it."
Emma felt a tremendous weight lift away from her. She smiled. "I'm glad. I really didn't want to have to argue about anything. I love her and that's that."
"I know, Emma, and that's why I'm not going to oppose," Mary Margaret murmured.
She opened her mouth to speak when the door behind her opened, the scent of food and her lover's perfume filled the area. Emma turned toward the source to see Regina already behind the couch, a smile on her face and a bag in her hand.
"Gina just got home," she finally used her words, still grinning. "With food."
"Ah, then I guess I should let you two eat, then. Tell Regina that I said hi and congratulations."
"I will," Emma murmured and stood from the couch. She shared her goodbyes with her mother before joining Regina at the dining room table, eyes on the bags from a local fast food joint. She licked her lips and sat across from the brunette.
"Who was that?" Regina queried, pulling food from the bags.
"Oh, that was Mary Margaret! She said hi and congratulations."
"Congratulations? … on what, exactly?" Her words were stretched out, earning a guilty smile from the blonde.
"I told her that we were engaged." Her face bloomed with heat. She quickly hid behind her soda.
Regina's lips pressed together, forming a thin line. "How many people did you already tell?"
"Uh…" She offered the brunette a smile. "Everyone."
"And who might that entail?"
"Ruby, Belle, and my parents. Graham already knew 'cause he helped me pick out the ring."
The older woman merely shook her head, popping a fry into her mouth. "What am I going to do with you?"
"Marry me?" Her cheeks were laden with blood.
"Hm, I suppose I could do that." The corners of Regina's eyes wrinkled, lips twitching. "Eat, my love, for you have a long weekend ahead of you. Do not think that I had forgotten that scene in the classroom, today."
Emma's heart pounded and shrunk against her chair, a nervous smile on her lips. The smirk flashed her way told her that Regina's promise was to be fulfilled.
She had a long weekend ahead of her.