Chapter 15
With a brown bag in hand, Emma stared up at the mayor's house. The large white structure with pillars and a well-manicured yard intimidated her a little more today than it usually did. Would this work? Would this go well at all? The last time she saw Regina, which hadn't been long ago, she was running away from her before Regina could stop her. It was an awkward exit, for sure, but at the time, Emma went right up to her fight-or-flight moment and did the latter. She was back for round 2. Regina was her true love and she knew it. There just had to be a way to show that to her. Lunch never was a bad place to start, right? Just then, her phone buzzed in the pocket of her tight-fitting jeans. Emma reached down into her pocket and pulled the phone out, only to see that it had been a text message from Henry.
You're the daughter of Prince Charming, and you're more like him than you know. Go get her.
Emma couldn't help but to smile a little to herself. "Thanks kid," she whispered as she pushed the phone into her pocket. Okay, it was time to do this thing. No more fooling around. With a deep breath, she walked right up to the door and, before she could talk herself out of it, pressed the doorbell button.
Ding, dong!
A few moments went by and Emma could feel her heart pounding faster by the minute. Maybe she hadn't thought this through. What if Robin answered the door instead? What if she wasn't alone? It was right then and there she realized that she had no exit strategy whatsoever. This…could be bad. Yep, bad idea. Turn around, Emma. Forget about it, she thought. Emma quickly turned around and started down the steps when she heard the door swing open.
"Emma?" Regina's voice sounded so alert that it caused Emma to stumble off of the bottom step, and had it not been for one of the bushes on the side of the walkway, she would have found herself falling onto the brick rather than against the prickly leaves.
"Ow! Whoa! Regina!" She straightened herself up and brushed the sharp little pains aside. Clearing her throat, she took a step toward her. God, Regina looked beautiful in her black skirt with red button-down blouse. Regina's eyes widened in surprise for a moment before her face went entirely emotionless once more. Emma hated it when she did that. It made it damn near impossible for her to know what she was thinking.
"What do you want, Miss Swan?" Regina asked, eyebrow arching as she gripped the door with one hand. Miss Swan. Now that she had become accustomed to hearing Regina call her by her first name, it almost pained her to hear Miss Swan in its place. Little did she know that Regina was holding on to every ounce of reality to keep herself from falling back into the dream she'd had the night before.
"Uhh…well, I thought you might be hungry. Granny's was cooking up grilled cheese sandwiches today," Emma replied with a hopeful smile. Despite Regina's desire to maintain professionalism between them, she couldn't help but to feel her heart soften at the kind gesture.
"You eat like a child," Regina said with her lips turning upwards before she took a step back to let Emma walk in. Emma bit down on her bottom lip for a moment before she hurried up the steps and slipped inside. Turning to face Regina as she stepped through the doorway, Emma's eyes lowered just slightly to Regina's face.
"I'd like to think that it's one of my more endearing qualities," she whispered with a playful wink before she stepped through. At the nearness of Emma's body and a wink on top of it, Regina felt her heart skip for a moment. What in the hell was going on with her? This didn't make any sense!
"If you say so, Miss Swan."
"Emma." The seriousness in Emma's voice surprised them both and she quickly softened her tone. "I prefer Emma," she added in a soft voice before looking away. Regina, who had just closed the door behind her, tucked a few strands of her dark hair behind her ear and stepped forward.
"All right, Emma. This way," Regina replied, unable to keep the smile from touching her lips. Why was she so hellbent on Regina calling her by her first name? Did it really matter that much? There was a firm flicker in the green eyes that stared back at her…a look she knew not to question, particularly when it was something this trivial.
Regina's heels clicked on the marble floors as she made her way through the foyer toward the stairs that would lead to her office. Emma followed close behind, being sure to stay behind her as they climbed the stairs. Emma couldn't help it; the view was too wonderful for her to pass up. A large grin widened upon her lips as she watched Regina take each step with a swish to each side before she realized that Regina was already a handful of steps above her. Emma's pace quickened slightly, taking two steps at a time to keep up until they reached the top.
"So, uhh…you're just here, by yourself? Working?" Emma asked, her green eyes shifting around a bit to catch any sight of company, particularly that annoying woodsman.
"I am. I needed some time for myself, so Robin went off to meet up with his merry men," she said as she pushed the office door open, holding it for Emma to come inside.
"Oh. Well, if you need some time for yourself, I don't want to intrude on that. I can go," Emma stopped and turned as if to leave, but Regina's hand came out and grabbed her forearm quickly to stop her.
"No, don't." The sudden grip on Emma's arm caused them both to freeze for a moment. Emma's eyes widened in pure surprise and Regina was just as quick to let go of her arm. "I…don't want you to go, Emma. After all, you did bring me a grilled cheese," she added with a playful roll of her eyes and a smile curling on her lips before she walked back into the office. Emma gave a sheepish grin and followed her inside.
"It's a damn good grilled cheese too."
"I'll be the judge of that one, thank you very much." Regina's sass purred on each word and Emma found herself struggling to keep her heart from pounding in her chest. Oh, how she'd wanted so badly to blurt out everything. Wouldn't that be easier? How many times had she watched a movie with Henry and brought up the point that communicating their feelings would have spared so much heartache in the end? If that was the case, then why wasn't she able to do it now? She hadn't anticipated such...fear. Fear of rejection. Fear of losing her all over again.
"You did what?! You jest!"
"I'm not, I promise. I'd never lie. You asked what the craziest thing I'd done in my younger years, and that was it. I didn't have the money to pay for the pizza I'd ordered, so I figured if I just open the door naked, he'd be so shocked that he wouldn't charge me."
"Did it work?"
"It totally worked. He stood there staring at me as I reached out and grabbed the pizza from his hands and slammed the door shut." Emma laughed and shrugged a little. "No big deal. Just a little random Wednesday night nudity, right? Besides, it helped to manage the situation in my favor," She joked, enjoying the sound of Regina's laughter.
"Is that what you were doing with me then?" Regina asked, dark eyes twinkling in amusement. Would Emma remember? Emma's head tilted slightly, her eyes narrowing.
"What do you mean?"
"When we first met. I showed up to Granny's and you opened the door with no pants on. Were you trying to manipulate me then?" She playfully wiggled seductive eyebrows in Emma's direction, her grin widening with her question as Emma's eyes widened.
"Oh! I did answer the door without pants on that day, didn't I?" She bit that bottom lip ever so slightly. Regina's eyes lowered to those lips, recalling the day she opened the door wearing that white tank top and red underwear. Even then, when she hated Emma with every fiber of her being, she couldn't help but to admire her physique. The woman was stunning then, and even more so now.
"You did. Were you hoping I'd give you something freely?" Emma smirked and crossed her legs with ease. "If I recall correctly, you did bring me apples," she replied with a wink.
"I'll remember that next time, Emma, if you open the door like that again," Regina laughed and responded to the wink with one of her own.
"Please do," Emma responded with a soft whisper. Good God, was she actually flirting with Regina? And was Regina flirting back? Surely, she wasn't imagining this.
The grilled cheese sandwiches were long gone, and the two of them sat comfortably on either side of the desk, both determined to keeping that desk between them. That was for the best, wasn't it? It was safe to keep that desk between the two of them. This would keep things simplified, and right now they both needed simple. It was just then that Emma reached for her own root beer and twisted the cap off of the bottle. Her eyes lifted to watch as Regina lifted her own bottle up, but the regal woman hesitated in opening her own drink. A tiny smirk curled Emma's lips upwards as she offered her own untwisted bottle to Regina.
"Don't ruin your pedicure," she teased jokingly, Emma's green eyes warm and playful. Regina shot a defensive look that quickly transitioned into amusement as she snatched the open bottle and traded it out for the unopened one.
"I won't dignify your joke with a response," Regina responded, taking a long sip of her root beer instead, but her eyes stayed locked on Emma's face. Why couldn't Regina get that dream out of her mind? The last thing she needed was for Emma to ever think that she had a leg up on Regina and could hold something like this over her head. They were friends, but there was a part of Regina that needed to have more control. There was nothing wrong with making sure she kept that protective wall around her for a little while longer. It's not like Regina was used to having friends...especially ones that she dreamt about. Ones whose tight jeans made her notice the athleticism of her legs as she shifted in her seat in the chair across from her. Ones who ignited a fire in the pit of her stomach with a glance. Ones who seemed to be looking back at her with a similar swirl of familiar emotion: desire. Regina was the first one to look away, clearing her throat a little.
"You know, Emma. I haven't really...thanked you."
"For what? The grilled cheese?"
"No," Regina answered with a soft laugh. "For saving my life. I don't remember any of the details, naturally, but I know you jumped through that portal to stop Zelena from killing me. Since I'm still here, I think it's safe to say that you succeeded. I wouldn't be here right now if it weren't for you. For that, I owe you quite a bit of gratitude." Their eyes met again and held for what felt like minutes, though they were mere seconds.
"You don't owe me anything, Regina. That's what we do for family, right?" Emma's response caused Regina's breath to catch in her chest, feeling the tears wanting to form.
"You...you would consider me part of your family?" Regina's voice was soft, barely audible. This was it. This was Emma's opportunity to just...blurt it out there! Say what she needed to say. Fight for her, damn it!
"How could I not? You're..." Emma hesitated. How could she describe what Regina was to her?The love of my life. The first thing I think about when I wake up. The last when I fall asleep. The gravity that keeps me here in Storybrooke. You're mine. There were so many things that she wanted to say, and yet, the words that left her mouth seemed so impersonal. They weren't what she wanted to say at all. "You're Henry's mother, too." Her own response disappointed her, and she could see the same emotion in Regina's face.
"...Right. Henry." Regina hid her own disappointment with a soft smile as she looked down to her root beer bottle. "Thank you, Miss Swan." The name set Emma's teeth on edge and she found herself pushing up out of her chair and walking around the desk. That desk was their safety net, and Emma just tossed those cautions to the wind as she came around to the other side of the desk. The desk let out a soft creak as the wood gave way to Emma's weight as she took a seat on it.
"Truth is, Regina. Going after you was...the only option. There's not a single life we would want to live that doesn't include you." Regina's eyes lifted to catch Emma's gaze. She was so close. So dangerously close.
"….We?" She asked, her voice barely louder than a whisper. Truth was, Regina was afraid of the answer. She wanted nothing more than to wrap her arms around Emma right now and find out exactly what it felt like to be the object of Emma's affections. Her heart was pounding in her ears right now and she could feel the heat radiating off of the two of them.
"Yes. We," Emma responded in a whisper as well. Her hand slowly reached out to touch Regina's face. Her thumb brushed over Regina's cheek. It felt so good to actually touch her intimately like this. She had done that since she'd returned and it pained her to be away. For the first time since she'd come back to Storybrooke, she felt as if she was right where she wanted to be.
The space between the two of them started to close as their eyes locked. Emma was the one to close more space between them, but Regina didn't pull away. Not even close. She felt her eyes flutter shut, waiting to feel Emma's lips on hers. A trembling breath escaped Regina's lips, anticipating the feeling of the kiss. Would it be like her dreams? She knew it would be better...but she wasn't able to find out. A familiar voice slice through their intimacy, causing Emma to pull away quickly.
"Regina! Are you home, darling?" Robin's voice echoed in the house as he headed toward the office, jumping the steps two at a time. The sound of his voice immediately brought Emma away from her. Emma stood and turned, walking toward the window nearby to create space between the two of them.
"I-In the office..." She called out, unable to hide the feeling of utter disappointment. Her body was still trembling from Emma's closeness. Regina found herself unable to take her eyes off of Emma, staring at the woman as Emma wrapped her arms around her own midsection. Emma's fingers gripped her jacket tightly, and she couldn't help but to feel the jealousy that came with anything being under Emma's touch that wasn't hers. What in the hell was happening to her?! The door pushed open and Robin walked inside quickly, his eyes serious. Regina stood up from her desk the moment she heard the door open.
"Thank God you're here!" He rushed over to her and wrapped his arms around her waist.
"Of course, I'm here. Where else would I be?" She asked, somewhat annoyed. He ignored the question and brushed a firm kiss against her lips...something that made her suddenly very self conscious. Regina turned the kiss out of politeness, pulling back quickly. Robin hadn't acted as though he noticed anything out of place while letting go of Regina.
"I'm glad both of you are here! There's something going on over at Gold's Shop. Belle came out shouting something about Rumplestiltskin. Snow and Charming are already on their way." Emma and Regina turned to look at each other, their eyebrows furrowing.
"Something doesn't seem right. Come on, let's go," Regina said as she started to grab her bag. Robin's hand moved to the small of her back to help guide her back out of the office. It felt wrong, having shared that moment with Emma only to be swooped back up in reality only seconds later. It wasn't fair...but what could she do? The man destined to be her love was already there. Hadn't Tink said that? The one with the lion tattoo would be her happy ending. That was Robin. She couldn't ruin it just because she had some sort of curiosity...could she?
Regina reached out to take Robin's hand as they left...an action that didn't go unnoticed by Emma as they left. Emma's heart sank at the sight. How was it that they were moments away from sharing a heated kiss and now Regina was pulling for Robin? Her heart ached and she went cold. That emotional wall was pulled up around her faster than anyone could stop it, and she clenched her jaw tight. She was foolish to think that it would be that easy, that Regina would feel their connection from the past and choose her over Robin.
Emma, Regina and Robin ran out to her yellow Volkswagen Beetle and jumped inside with Regina taking the passenger front seat beside her. It was time to push everything aside. There was a bigger issue resonating inside of Gold's shop. She couldn't put her finger on it, but it didn't sound good. In fact, the closer they got, the more dread Emma felt. Something wasn't right. Something was, actually, very wrong. In the distance, she saw her parents pull up in their pickup truck right outside of Gold's store. Just then, she felt a hand on her knee for a moment and her eyes turned quickly to Regina's. Regina, with a subtle touch, gave her knee a squeeze before it was noticeable.
"Be careful, Emma. Okay?" She asked softly and Emma stared back at her as Regina started to get out of the car. A soft curse escaped her lips and she pushed the driver's side door open and looked toward the gathering outside of Gold's shop. She had a really bad feeling about this...