A/N: Happy Sunday!

"I kissed Regina."

Ruby spun around, suds from the washing up gloves flying into the air at the sudden movement. She gawped at her friend who had slid onto a bar stool and was now leaning on the kitchen island.

"What?"

Emma nodded, a grin spreading over her face as she recalled the feeling of Regina's lips against her own. "Yep. This afternoon."

"What happened?"

"Um, I'm not entirely sure," Emma admitted, shrugging as she put her elbows on the counter. "I mean, we've been getting closer all week and there's been a few times we've cuddled up together. I guess I knew how I felt about her and I think you knew too. But I never thought she felt like that about me. And then, yeah, we kissed."

"So, are you guys together?"

"I don't know. I don't think so. We've not had that conversation, so not officially."

Ruby pulled off the yellow Marigolds, the domestic chore halted indefinitely. "But you want to be?"

"I mean, yeah, of course I do. And before you say anything, obviously I'm more than aware of Regina's not exactly in a place to be starting a new relationship. And, well, this would be her first."

Ruby frowned. "Her first? Emma, I'm pretty sure sex workers don't get paid for their conversational skills."

"Her first consensual relationship," Emma clarified with a scowl on her face. "And can we not talk about her past like that?"

"Why not? It's not like she's hiding what happened to her. It's how you two met. And I think it'd be a pretty huge part of whatever happens between you if this did become a relationship, so addressing it really isn't an option."

"I'm not saying we won't address it. But we being me and Regina, not me and you. I don't … it's not our place to talk about what she went through. Neither of us was there, neither of us really know what happened."

"Ok fine. Then let's talk about that fact that she's a heroin addict."

Emma narrowed her eyes at her best friend. "She's sober now."

"It's been a week. Barely. Ems, what are you doing? Where do you think this could possibly go?"

"I don't know!" Emma exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air and slapping them back onto the counter. "I don't know, Ruby, alright? That's why I told you, because I wanted to talk it through with someone I trust and someone who knows me. I really like her and I think this could be amazing for me. And for her. But all you've done is attack Regina and basically said this is a terrible idea."

"I never said this was a bad idea," Ruby shot back.

"So you're saying you're on board with us being together?"

Ruby opened her mouth to answer but closed it. Evidently she wasn't quite ready to voice her support. The silence spoke volumes, however. Emma climbed off the stool and headed for the hallway.

"Emma, wait. I'm sorry, I'm just concerned."

Without turning around, Emma replied, "I just wanted to tell someone how happy she makes me. That's all. Do we have things to talk through? Yeah. Did I want to talk with you about those things? Yes. But the first thing I wanted was to say how happy she makes me. I just wanted to share that with someone who loves me."

"I am happy for you, sweetie, I really am. But as your friend, I think I'm entitled to be worried too."

Standing in the doorway, Emma looked over her shoulder. She offered her friend a small smile. "I appreciate your concern. And maybe it's not misplaced but today, I needed was someone to be happy for me. I'm confused too and I know there's a lot to think about before we take our relationship any further. But all I wanted was for someone else to know that I think what I have with Regina could be amazing. I just wanted to share that with you. I'm going to bed. I'll see you in the morning."

Ruby watched her friend go, wondering whether she should run after her but deciding against it. Instead, she returned to the forgotten washing up as she heard Emma climb the stairs to the next floor where Regina was already in bed.

Regina had gone to bed an hour earlier. She had excused herself halfway through a movie which hadn't caught her attention, leaving Emma and Ruby to finish it without her. It was only after the film had finished that Emma had decided to tell her best friend about their kiss. Now, standing outside Regina's room, Emma wanted to knock on the door and tell Regina what had happened downstairs between the two friends.

Where this sudden need to share everything came from, Emma wasn't sure. She'd never been a huge sharer. As an only child, she hadn't had someone else to tell her secrets to in the way siblings often did, at least according to books and television. And while she was accustomed to talking about her sexual encounters with Ruby and Belle, when it came to more intense, romantic relationships, Emma was usually less open about the intimacies of her partner dynamics.

It had been a testament to how happy she was that she'd told Ruby so early. Well, happy and, ok, confused. While she was upset at the way Ruby had reacted, Emma was unable to deny that the women had made some salient points, even if she hadn't been sensitive about how she'd made them. There were any number of obstacles in her and Regina's path. But did she really have to be a grown up and address them now?

Hesitating for a moment longer, Emma decided against waking Regina. Whatever was between them, it was definitely too early to wake her up and bitch about her unsupportive friend. Continuing her journey to her bedroom, Emma was ready to put the day behind her, full as it was of big, confusing emotions which, let's face it, she didn't want to deal with.

"Emma?"

She groaned and buried her face deeper into the pillow.

"Emma, are you awake?"

"No," Emma mumbled.

The intruder sat down on the edge of the bed. "I … I need you."

As her brain registered who was talking, Emma's eyes blinked open, taking in the darkness of the room. "Regina? What time is it?"

"A little after three. I'm really sorry to have woken you."

Hearing the quiet apology, Emma finally recognised that something was wrong. "Are you ok?" she asked, sitting up and turning on her bedside lamp, squinting against the sudden flood of light into the dark.

"No."

Emma crawled over to the side of the bed where Regina was sitting and peered into her face. "What's wrong?"

"I don't feel right," Regina admitted. "I … I feel … I need …"

"What? What do you need?" Emma asked, panic rising inside her.

"I … my body wants … I can't stop thinking about it, Emma. It's like everything inside me is screaming for a hit."

Heroin. Of course. After a week of relatively smooth sailing, Emma knew the time would come when the methadone dose was misjudged.

"I'll get you some methadone," Emma assured the brunette who, she realised, was shivering. "Wait here. Get into the bed, you're cold." Emma herself got out of bed as she did so, holding open the duvet as an invitation.

Regina hesitated but did as Emma instructed, wriggling down beneath the covers into the warmth left by the blonde's body. Promising to be right back, Emma hurried off down two flights of stairs to the kitchen where the methadone was kept, in a cupboard. It was an open secret. Regina wasn't supposed to know where the methadone was as Emma was providing her with the dose but she was aware it was in the kitchen. If she'd wanted to find it, all she had to do was go through all of the cupboards. Emma noted gratefully that rather than doing that, Regina had chosen to come to her, the right but more difficult choice, given the circumstances.

By the time she returned to the bedroom, Emma was wide awake, the last vestiges of sleep evaporated. She knelt down beside the bed and prepared the necessary dose of methadone for the woman whose eyes were now glued to the green liquid being poured for her.

"Here, take this," Emma said, handing over the cup.

Obediently, Regina took it and swallowed it down in one go. Emma took the empty cup and placed it on the bedside table.

"How long does it usually take before you feel it?" she asked quietly.

"Not long," Regina replied.

"Ok, good. Just hang in there. It'll all be ok soon." She reached out and stroked Regina's hair, noting as she did so that it was damp with sweat. How long had the woman been suffering from withdrawals? And what had caused them? They hadn't had a problem so far and they had found the right rhythm morning and night …

It hit Emma like a freight train. Their methadone routine had been to give Regina's primary dose in the morning, then a little extra each evening, just to carry her through to the next day. But the night before, with Regina going up to bed earlier and with Emma's mind distracted by their kiss, that additional dose hadn't happened.

"Regina, I'm so sorry. I forgot."

"It's ok. I forgot too," Regina admitted.

"But I'm not supposed to forget. It's literally my job to not forget. Shit, Regina, this is all my fault."

"No, it's not," Regina sighed, closing her eyes. She looked a little calmer, as if the methadone was already working. "Don't blame yourself, Emma. That's not going to help."

"How can I help?" Emma asked, desperate to feel less useless and to in some way redeem herself.

"I'm fine," Regina murmured. "I feel better. All I needed was the methadone and my body will stop screaming at me now. It's already quieter."

Emma knew she wasn't going to forgive herself as easily as Regina seemed to have done. She settled herself on the floor, sitting with her back leaning against the bedside table, her fingers still trailing through the damp locks of Regina's hair.

"Are you going to stay there all night?" Regina mumbled after several minutes.

"Of course. Where else would I go?" Emma replied.

"I can't kick you out of your bed, Emma. I'll go back downstairs."

"No, don't," Emma said at once, kneeling up as she felt Regina move. "Stay. I want … I need to keep an eye on you. I'm fine here, don't worry about me."

Regina looked at the blonde before her, green eyes bright despite the fact that it was the middle of the night. She had no doubt that Emma would watch over her until morning now. She couldn't help but smile slightly. "Get in."

"Are you sure?"

"It's not the first time we've shared a bed," Regina pointed out.

"Yeah, but it's the first time we've shared a bed since we, you know."

"Kissed?"

Emma nodded. "Yeah, kissed."

"Well, I'm assuming you are capable of just sleeping beside me and not expecting anything more?"

"Of course," Emma said at once.

"Then get in," Regina repeated, shimmying backwards to the cold side of the mattress, leaving Emma free to climb back into her own bed.

There was a moment's hesitation before the blonde did so, sliding back beneath the warm covers and rolling onto her side so she was facing Regina. "Ok?"

Regina nodded. "I'm good. And I'm feeling better. That methadone works magic."

"I'm so sorry," Emma repeated but Regina shook her head.

"No. No more apologies. I'm fine. Let's just try and sleep."

"Ok," Emma agreed.

Regina smiled and rolled over before sliding backwards, shifting her body into the curve of Emma's. "Hold me?"

At once, Emma curled her arm around Regina. "Of course," she whispered, pressing a kiss to the dark hair.

"I'm a bit sweaty," Regina remarked, as if she'd finally realised. "I should shower."

"No," Emma said, tightening her arm lightly around Regina's waist. "It's fine. You're right, we should sleep. Do you think your mind and. body are able to get some rest?"

"I think so," Regina replied. "Thank you."

"No, thank you."

"For what?"

"For coming to me. For being comfortable enough to tell me what you needed. It can't have been easy making the decision to come up here tonight and wake me up to tell me what your body was going through. That's a big deal, Regina. I'm honoured that you trust me enough to do what you did. It means a lot."

"I did hesitate," Regina admitted. "I mean, I was lying awake downstairs for an hour before I came up."

At that, Emma's gut clenched with guilt. The thought of Regina going through this alone made her physically sick. "Why?"

"I suppose I was hoping that it would just go away, that my body would stop calling out for something I know is bad for it. How can my brain know that what it wants is damaging and yet at the same time need it? I don't understand. But yeah, I guess I was hoping my brain would be able to override the withdrawal. When it didn't get better, I knew I had to come up and find you. The only other option was to try and go out and score."

Emma's fingers involuntarily dug into Regina's stomach where they lay, silently displaying her distain for that option. "Don't do that. Please, Regina, never do that again."

"I don't want to," Regina whispered, her hand coming to lie on top of Emma's, interlacing her own fingers with those which pressed lightly into her belly. "I really don't want to. I want to get clean. I am clean. I want to stay that way."

"And you will," Emma assured her. "You can do this, Regina. You're so strong. I'm so proud of you."

She pressed her lips against the brunette's neck, the slightly salty skin damp against her mouth. Regina let out a little sigh, tilting her head backwards to allow Emma some more access, as well as telling her she was more than ok with the touch.

"Get some sleep," Emma murmured, her lips still touching Regina's neck. "We'll talk more in the morning."

"Ok. Thank you again, Emma."

"You're welcome," Emma said, pulling the brunette's lithe body a little closer to her own as she settled herself more comfortably and closed her eyes. "Good night, Regina."

"Good night."

A/N: I know we're all rooting for Emma and Regina but I have managed to put our ladies in quite the predicament. Regina's journey is not going to be an easy one and I want to make sure they're being realistic from the start.