Deadly Class
Class Ten: Dumb ass
A/N: Emma's going to need a lot of hugs right now.
"Hi there, you must be Emma?" a tall, attractive man with a trimmed beard held out his hand for Emma to shake.
Emma paused, unsure if she should take it or not. The uncertain look on her face tipped the dude off and he lowered his hand. "I'm Robin. Regina told me about your situation?"
"Ah, right!" Emma remembered in a sudden flash. She sure as hell wasn't expecting him to pop out of nowhere during the middle of her school day. She had a class to go to.
"Is this a bad time?" he asked. He looked like a nice dude, with a plaid shirt tucked into his jeans, belt on top and a winter Northface unzipped. And he didn't look too much older than her. Was he really the guy Regina had picked for her? He wasn't anything close to Emma's type. Too boyish and clean cut.
"Kinda. I have class soon."
"Right. I'll give you my number and we can schedule something, alright?" He handed it to her and she typed it into her phone, parting ways with him. When she got to class she sat in the back and discreetly texted Regina about this.
Just saw Robin. Is he cool?
Don't worry. I had him checked out and everything. He'll be respectful.
Emma let out a relieved sigh. She was glad Regina knew what she meant and had taken precautions against it.
I want you to set up something with him and then introduce him to your friends. The sooner the better. And you'll keep him around a couple of times until we won't need him anymore.
k.
Naturally, that would be easier said than done, because Emma had a feeling that her friends might be suspicious of her sudden interest in this guy when she had pinned for Mulan for so long, and for Regina even longer. But if she wanted her relationship with Regina to stay a secret, than she had to do this. She could tell Regina wasn't happy with sharing her, or having Emma make out with some guy they had found off the web, but there weren't many other options.
So when Emma hinted to her friends she wanted to go to dinner with them so they could meet someone special she was dating, she couldn't help but see their surprised faces when he came by, dropping a kiss to her cheek as he sat next to her.
"Uh, it's not Mulan?" Neal asked, feasting on the free chips as they wanted for the main course to come.
"No, why would it be?" Emma frowned.
Belle shot her a pointed glare and so did August but they knew better than to say anything in front of Robin. Ruby, wasn't as subtle. "Because you said you had a massive crush on her and were trying to get with her."
Emma felt her cheeks flare up and cast a wary glance at Robin who didn't seem off put. He was helping himself to the free chips like Neal.
"Well, obviously it didn't work out," she squirmed in her seat as she lied. "Along the way me and Robin sort of worked something out and now we're dating. Officially." She grabbed his hand and twined her fingers with him and placed it on top of the table with a thunk so her friends would get the message.
"Riiiiight," Ruby said, narrowing her eyes and not convinced at all. "And how did you two met?"
Luckily, they had thought to cover this before. "Actually, with me helping Emma with Mulan. We both sort of had crushes on her and were trying to see who could crack her first but funnily enough we ended up finding out that we're both good together and decided to date to see how it would go. And so far, I can't complain. She's so adorable," he laughed and leaned in to kiss her cheek again.
Ruby still didn't seem to buy it, but the others were sort of going along with it now.
"Should warn you though, she's got a big old crush on one of her professor's," August added in good nature. He unrolled his napkin because soon dinner would be served, and placed it on his lap. Neal had already gotten his dish.
"Oh, I'm not worried. Haven't we all been there?" Robin laughed and then skillfully changed the topic. Emma wondered how much Regina was paying for him, and how exactly she had framed Emma's situation. How much did Robin know?
Emma watched him carefully before she felt Ruby watching her and started leaning in more to Robin's touches and looking at him the same way she looked at Regina.
When she got back to her dorm with Ruby, the girl slammed the door shut and turned on Emma. "Alright, spill. What's going on?"
Emma did a double take. "What are you talking about?" Her heart rate began to pick up.
"Emma, I don't buy your bull story. Something more is going on here. How do you go from liking two girls to all of a sudden being straight?"
"Is there anything wrong with that?" Emma defended in a shrill voice. "I can be bi."
"Yes, you can. But you're dating a guy now?"
"Just because I'm dating a guy doesn't make me a traitor to women or something like that. He's nice. And funny."
Ruby narrowed her eyes. "I never said anything like that. It's fine to like a guy, but you're just using him to deal with your crushes and it's not healthy!"
"Stop that!" Emma hissed, getting annoyed. "Stop assuming those things about me! You don't know me like that."
"No, maybe I don't," Ruby said sullenly. "I thought I knew you better but it's clear I haven't. Have fun with him. I wish you the best," she tacked on flatly and then went to her side of the room. And now Emma felt like shit.
And she needed to see Regina. To be comforted by her. She left to go see Regina, deciding to walk it there despite it being cold and a half hour walk. But, she needed to cool her head and she was too depressed to quite care it was cold.
When she got to Regina's front door it took a while for her to open it, and when she did, Emma could hear laughter coming from inside. "Emma!" Regina's eyes got wide. She was wearing a cocktail dress and Emma had to wonder why. "What are you doing here? And why the hell did you walk in the cold to see me? Your whole face is red!"
"I needed to see you," Emma answered simply, her teeth chattering with cold.
"Come in before you freeze to death!" Regina exclaimed and ushered her in. "I'll set the kettle for you and get you a warm blanket," she said as Emma kicked off her snow covered shoes. You would think with it being April, the snow would be gone by now. But Maine had long winters and this one was exceptionally long and harsh. Hopefully by the time May arrived, they could at least break out the light sweaters.
"I hope you don't mind me intruding," she said.
"No, it's alright. Only my sister is here. Actually, I think she'd like to meet you," Regina said and lead Emma inside, taking her coat and hanging it up.
An older woman sat on the couch, extremely poised and in an expensive designer dress with her hair done in a bun. She held a glass of wine in her hand, as light as her hair color. "Why hello there," she drawled, a hint of a German accent in her voice. "Who iz thiz?"
"This is Emma. The girl I was telling you about," Regina said before hurrying to get Emma hot tea.
"Hi," Emma held out her frozen hand to shake but was waved off. "Sit down, have a drink."
"She's not legal," Regina called out from the expansive kitchen.
"And whose going to know zhe drank but us," Regina's sister said. It must be Mal, if Emma had remembered it right.
"I actually don't drink," Emma said sheepishly. "I don't have the head for it."
"Nonsense, just a glass," Mal said and poured one for Emma. One full and heavy glass. "In my country, children drink as early as six. It stops this massive binge drinking culture that most American schoolz have."
"Hm," Emma didn't know what to say so she stuck her mouth into the wine, taking a baby sip. It didn't taste bad and the burn was nice, warming her up from the cold.
Regina scowled as she came in with the tea, setting it on the table in front of Emma. "Mal, don't be a bad influence."
"One of us has to be. You're the boring one, sis," she teased, twirling the stem of her glass. Regina sat next to Emma, close enough for their thighs to touch. Emma wondered if Mal knew they were dating. Probably.
"Zelena is eccentric, Tink is a surfing drunkard, Jacinda is a partial drug lord and you're just a professor at some in the middle of nowhere college," Mal drawled on.
"Because I value being a working member of society and not some irresponsible member," Regina said archly.
"You hear this, Emma. You're dating a societal snob," Mal joked.
"At least she won't have to worry about me being hunted down by the law for scamming people out of money," Regina snapped back though it was clear the two of them were merely bantering, this something common for them to do.
Mal turned her attentions to Emma. "So, Emma. What are your intentions with my sister?"
Emma nearly choked on her gulp of wine. Despite knowing she didn't have the head for drinking it, she wanted to impress Mal by doing so. "Um, nothing bad?"
Regina tsked at Mal. "Must you be such a mule?"
"Oh I have to ask. Because Regina's got money and brains and the looks but the campus is full of fresh blood. I merely want to know what made Emma here choose you, despite how risky such a relationship is. I know why you did, Regina." A knowing look tossed at the brunette, one that made Emma ache to know what the reason was too.
"Well, she's hot," Emma stated, swirling her wine. Wow, she had drank half already? "And smart like you said. I don't really care for money. I have a part time job so I have enough to get by on and my parents would pay for things if I really needed it." She shrugged. "I don't know. As soon as she stepped into the classroom I just fell for her." Emma smiled cheesily at this. Regina smiled back, touching Emma lightly on the knee.
"She's so fucking corny," Mal stuck out her tongue which was very childish for an adult to do.
"She's cute," Regina defended. And then she and Mal got into a sibling fake squabble as Emma leaned into the couch, sipping her wine and listening to them talk. Regina's voice was mesmerizing. Emma could listen to it all day. Especially when she was talking about something passionate.
"Emma, you look tired," Regina commented when she saw how lidded Emma's eyes were and how her head bobbed.
"I'm fine," she slurred.
"Poor thing can't hold her liquor," Mal tsked.
"I told you," Regina flashed sharply at Mal, clearly blaming her for this despite the fact Emma had chosen to drink of her own free will. Then she turned more softly to Emma. "Come, lets get you to bed. You can stay overnight here." Regina gently took Emma's wine glass and set it on the table before lifting her up and walking the girl up the stairs. Emma plopped down on Regina's bed, the one she become so familiar with during the past three months and allowed Regina to slip her out of her sweater. But she wouldn't allow for the rest of herself to be undressed because her head was getting too heavy and she needed rest.
But before that, she needed something from Regina. She surged up on unsteady feet and kissed Regina hard. Regina gasped at the unexpected touch but allowed it, tilting her head to the side so that Emma could kiss her more fiercely.
The blonde wanted to feel more of Regina. Feel her skin. She blindly searched for the zipper in back but Regina's hands stopped her.
"Not now. We have company." She pulled away. "Get some sleep."
Emma nodded her head numbly and flopped back down on the covers, allowing Regina to close the door on her. Emma buried her head in the sheets which smelled just like her professor and with a soft smile on her face she fell into sleep, tasting wine and Regina on her lips.
She awoke three hours later, thirsty and disoriented. She sat up with a low groan as her head throbbed. She hoped she wouldn't have a hang over this time. She rubbed her eyes and saw the bed was empty. Regina hadn't come up yet. She must still be up with Mal.
Emma tiptoed down the stairs where the light was on and she could hear the murmur of voices. She was going to get a glass of water and then go right back to sleep. But she slowed her descent as she began to make sense of things.
"You're going to break her heart," Mal said in a hushed voice.
Who were they talking about? About Emma?
"I know," Regina said, with a hint of glee in her tone as she sat on the couch, legs crossed and one arm folded over her chest as she drank her wine. Red like her lips. Emma could feel her breath freeze in her throat.
Mal chuckled, something low and filthy. "You truly are the worst one out of us all. At least I don't go seducing college girls into my bed over a petty fifteen year old grudge against their mother."
Emma raced up the stairs quietly, unable to bare listening any more to this. She felt sick. From the wine and from the revelations. She rushed to the bathroom to splash cold water on her face. The noise alerted Regina to her being up and the professor went to find Emma in the bathroom, hunched over the sink.
"Emma are you okay?" Regina reached out a hand to put on her shoulder but Emma flinched. Not wanting to be touched by her. Regina was a liar.
This whole relationship was fake.
All for what? Some sort of revenge? Against Mary?
"Emma..." Regina trailed off, dark eyes searching. Emma had kissed that lying mouth not so long ago. A sour taste filled her mouth at the recollection of it.
"Leave me alone," Emma mumbled, water droplets dropping off of her face.
"Sure," Regina said in a subdued tone of voice, clearly confused about all of Emma's reactions, and then left. Before she did she caught a glimpse of Regina's face in the reflection. Hurt and concern had been on it. But it was all fake. Regina had fooled her.
Emma felt dumb and hot tears streamed down her face, mixing with the water in the sink. Of course Regina didn't love her. Hadn't ever really wanted her. She had seen Emma's stupid crush on her and taken it to her advantage. And that hurt a lot. A lot more than Emma would have thought. Because how cruel could Regina be?
Especially to someone like Emma who had never been in a relationship before. Who had never kissed someone before. Had all those kisses, all that time spent together, all the world shattering sex, meant nothing?
Emma gripped the sink edge and tried to sob quietly. What did she do now? She couldn't stay in this relationship. It wasn't healthy or smart to do this. It was over.
She and Regina were over.
Wiping her tears away, she turned the sink off and quietly made her way downstairs. She was going to leave and go to her dorm. She needed to be alone right now. Away from Regina and her lies. She moved as quickly and covertly as she could, slipping on her shoes and putting on her coat before leaving. It was early in the morning and darker than ever, but Emma didn't care. She walked through the snow and cold, hunched over, and feeling like utter trash. She just wanted to go to sleep. Wanted to sleep through the rest of her week.
Her phone vibrated in her pocket and when she looked at the screen it was a bunch of messages from Regina.
Where did you go?
Emma.
Emma answer me.
And then she called once, twice. But Emma didn't pick up. She was angry now. Too angry to answer.
But as she walked on by, she didn't notice that someone had been watching from the inside of a car as she walked out of Regina's house.
Emma didn't like to think of herself as the vengeful sort. But Regina had fucked up. Big time. This was Emma's first relationship and it was supposed to be one of the best ones and yet, it was terrible. Absolutely the worst.
And Emma wouldn't mope around. The hurt was too much. When she got back to her dorm, she continued to ignore Regina's efforts to reach out to her. Ruby noticed she acted differently too.
"What's wrong?" she asked as Emma stared blankly at her computer screen, having mindlessly typed out die over and over again.
"Nothing. Just tired," Emma said flatly, going to delete the words.
"Yea, tired of living," Ruby commented, noticing die typed out, and frowned. "Want to talk about it?"
"No," Emma said flatly, irritably. "I'm going to the library." And she packed up, leaving a worried Ruby in the dorm room.
Emma tried to study, she really did. But she didn't know what to do. She couldn't focus. Last night ran through her head on repeat and it made her bristle and hurt all over. Why would Regina do this to her? Why?
And how could Emma even go to take her final? It was next week and it would mean being in the same room as Regina. The last person she wanted to see.
Emma gnawed on the pad of her thumb as she thought of what to do. She was hurting so badly, she wanted to hurt Regina back. And yet, there was that foolish small part of her that hoped she had misheard. That maybe Regina and Mal were talking about something else.
Emma's phone buzzed yet again with another message. You heard.
Oh.
Emma's heart crumpled more at that. So it wasn't a mistake Regina had said those things. They had been real. She had meant them. Tears welled up in Emma's eyes and she left her stuff at the table to rush to the gender neutral bathroom and cry there in the one stall.
When she had calmed down a bit, she wiped her eyes and blew her nose. Whether she liked it or not, she had to see Regina. Had to confront her on this.
We need to talk.
Fine by me. When?