Breakfast had passed in relative silence, Emma enjoying her food a little too much, Regina sitting across from her smirking, and Daniel busy in the kitchen cleaning up after his breakfast preparations. After some time passed Emma started to wonder where exactly Henry was, if he was still asleep upstairs or on the couch. She almost thought he had to be with as quiet as the house was, but she didn't want to bring it up, feeling it might make her seem too nosy. But to be honest, she wanted his company just so she no longer had the feeling of being the third wheel on this almost date like morning.
Date. That word stuck with her as she remembered her phone lay forgotten upstairs, she was waiting for a reply from Neal. It wasn't like there was any major rush to get information from him, but she wanted to get started on her new assignment. Besides, she really did like being alive, even in this situation, it had kind of grown on her in the past few years of her life.
She quickly excused herself and rushed upstairs, missing the strange looks she received from the others in the room, running into the guest room she'd slept in last night, she shut the door behind her and all but dove onto the bed, looking for her phone. Emma found it, tangled up in the massive comforter and tried to turn it on, only to have the screen flash its dead battery image at her. She mumbled a curse under her breath at the phone realizing she didn't have her charger with her as she hadn't expected to be out all night.
Well, it looks like work will just have to wait, she thought and headed back downstairs, hoping maybe she could get a second helping of that amazing meal. The rest of the day continued on, lazily drifting by, Emma didn't want to leave, she enjoyed being there, being part of the family, even if she was just an outsider trying to pretend. There was an easiness about being together, it was relaxed and calm, Henry was at school, leaving the adults to be lazy.
Emma kept to herself mostly, Daniel had gone out to work with the horses and she had declined the invitation to accompany him while Regina had disappeared into her study, claiming she was working from home today. And that was how Emma came to be, upstairs, in the guest room, wearing yesterday's clothes, strung out across the bed, scrolling through her phone. She had finally broken down and asked to borrow a charger, not being in any real rush to return to the hotel.
Now that her phone had a charge on it, she was able to see that she had actually gotten a reply from Neal. So, she got to work, sending him a message back and once again playing the game. But as she got to know him through their messages, Emma found that she most likely would actually enjoy his company, even if he was only to be a friend, she would be able to use him as a distraction from Regina. She discovered that they had many similar interests, a lot of the same experiences in life, he too had lost his parents when he was younger, and growing up had been rough for him.
There were too many similarities in fact, and Emma soon found herself opening up to him more than she had intended to. Hopefully, she wouldn't have to kill him anytime soon and would be able to spend more time with her newest confidant. They set up a date for that weekend, something simple, since Emma had freely admitted she was new to the area and unfamiliar with many of the things near there.
Neal had offered to take her out into the desert, show her some of the natural beauty of the area, he spent much of his free time hiking and exploring. He'd told her of some ruins he'd discovered, signs of an old Indian village near there that had been abandoned, their paintings left on the walls of a nearby cave. Emma didn't even have to fake an interest in that, it really had piqued her interest, more than Daniel's horses (to be honest, growing up in the city, the beasts scared her).
And while a strange man from online offering to take her out into the desert alone would normally raise an alarm in her mind, she didn't find herself overly afraid, she knew she could handle herself, and something in the back of her mind said to trust him, he didn't seem very imposing after all, lonely more than anything. He felt like a lost soul, much as she was, back before she knew her place, back before she'd found herself with Ingrid, she supposed the difference was she had someone, he didn't. Neal hadn't had anyone left after his family passed and he was forced to raise himself, living on the streets, he'd found a way to make it, travelled the country, lived life as a free soul, never tied down.
He'd made his own happiness in life, made his own path, without being told what to do, nobody to live up to (or to disappoint), and she couldn't help but envy him, at least a little bit. She was certainly grateful that she was spared some of the pain and suffering he was, but her life too had been difficult. So they continued to talk, late into the night, eventually exchanging phone numbers so as to avoid having to rely on an app to communicate.
Emma felt a sensation building in her chest, one she hadn't felt in a while, hope. He may not be someone she'd ever love, but he could certainly be a distraction from her current problem, he could be her friend, her confidant, and she wouldn't have to feel so alone, at least not for a little time. She really hadn't liked the idea of calling up the waitress anyways, that seemed like a bad idea in her mind, though this one didn't exactly seem much better.
There was a couple of days until her date however, that she'd have to survive first, and that would be a trick, especially because at this point, Regina had really made no moves to take her back into town, and she did enjoy being there, but it left her torn. She didn't want to impose, but she thought it would also be considered rude to ask to go back to the hotel, to be away from the family that had taken her in without a second thought.
Emma spent much of her time not talking to Neal contemplating what exactly was going through Regina's mind. She had been giving Emma these looks, but it was always when she thought she wasn't looking, and she wasn't trying to ruin a marriage, but it was tempting. It took all her willpower to not make a move on Regina, especially at night when everyone else had gone to bed and the two of them would stay up talking, drinks in hand (that cider was just too good to pass up). Their conversations stayed innocent mostly, but there was an undercurrent of something, something that Emma just couldn't place.
It seemed like desire, her eyes darkened, glinted with a curiosity, but it was masked, and cleared away before Emma could determine what that emotion was, it was like a fire raged and danced behind concealed eyes, passion doused but still smoldering beneath a pile of ash. They would gradually move closer to each other, contact increasing between them the more they talked, the more they drank. But nothing ever came of it, nothing she could allow to happen. She resigned to convincing herself it was all in her mind, after all, when Daniel was around, Regina seemed so light, so happy, and freer than she'd ever been, even around Emma.
But it was different, and she couldn't place it, and that worried her. She was internally panicking, even though their conversations never left the innocent, at least not explicitly. And soon enough she found herself on the cusp of Friday, sitting on the couch, Regina leaning ever so slightly into her, sipping on a glass of cider once again. Her nerves were on edge, this felt wrong, all of it, not just one thing, and that was the problem. Ever since mentioning her date with Neal, something had seemed off with Regina, and she'd become protective (jealous?). Moving closer when she could, maintaining contact, pushing the boundaries just ever so slightly more, but she had to be imagining it, there was no way, Regina was straight after all, she'd said that at least, and that's what Emma was going to believe.
It was just a few short hours left until her date (scheduled in the afternoon of course, they couldn't very well go hiking at night and expect to come back home alive, or see any of the ruins, and that was what she was really excited for) when she brought it up to Regina, the case of her nerves that is. She wasn't sure how to approach the subject at first, but she did after taking a long sip of cider, nearly finishing the glass, the last of it barely enough to cover the bottom, sitting there seeming lost, the unwanted remnants that Emma just hadn't swallowed, she'd need that bit soon enough.
"I'm nervous for tomorrow, but I'm excited too. It seems different this time, you know, like I've gone on dates with guys before, but this time I can't tell if it's work or if I want to."
"What? Your work requires you to go on dates? Explain this."
"Well, I got my start as a bounty hunter, got real good at it right? But I'd go on dates, it was all a set up, you know, to catch the guy, they always fall for a good act and an attractive woman. Well, one thing led to another and then I got my start doing this, how do you think I find the right guy for a dating show anyways?"
"It makes sense, in a strange way, but I thought you were a lesbian?"
"That too, but it's still a date, and he's still someone new, and I don't know? I mean a lot of people think sexuality is a fluid ever changing thing, couldn't that be the case here? He did strike me as immature and unfocused at first, but he's well, different, he understands me, and maybe that's all I've needed."
"Just don't force yourself into anything you don't want because you think you have to," Regina finished quietly, looking down at her lap where her hands laid, cradling her glass of cider.
Emma picked up a note of sadness, but she was unsure of the cause for that, she cleared her throat and stood up from the couch where they sat, offering her hand out to take Regina's glass, "Do you want another?" Her voice was quiet, meek, clashing with the way she had spoken previously, it was tender, comforting, offering concern in its tone, there weren't words to express the emotions she tried to convey to Regina, hoping she'd pick up on the emotions it masked.
A slight nod of the head and a small smile was all she received in return, Regina held her glass up, placing it in Emma's outstretched hand, avoiding eye contact. The mood had shifted between the two, and the reason went unspoken between them. Emma walked over to the cabinet that held the cider and refilled both glasses. She took her time, pausing for a moment at the counter to recompose herself.
This was getting harder, every passing moment, she couldn't tell what was going on with Regina, but she knew what was happening in her mind. Her thoughts, her feelings continued to build, she had to force them back down, the urge to pull Regina into her arms, to hold her close and comfort her, to offer herself up to the woman, her undying passion, love, willingness to wait. She knew that would lead to more pain, and deep down she knew that the reason she was excited for her date with Neal was that he would be a distraction from her feelings here.
She downed another glass quickly before once again refilling it, enjoying the sweet burn of the cider as it slid down her throat. Emma snuck a look over her shoulder, taking in Regina's form as she sat there on the couch, she wished this could be every night, she wished she could have more, this was the life she wanted, the way she always wanted it. What a cruel fate that she'd be returned to life, given a second chance by death himself to only meet this amazing woman, this woman that would never be hers.
And Emma found herself unable to resist the urge anymore, she cross the room, hands full, approaching her love from behind. She bent down behind her, wrapping her arms around her, pulling her into a gentle embrace, feeling Regina melt into her, she handed the cool glass of golden amber back to the brunette.
Emma felt possessed, intoxicated by the smell of the other woman and couldn't help but to nuzzle into her neck. Regina let out a small gasp, extending her head away from Emma, allowing further access to her neck as she began to nip and kiss lightly down, enjoying the expanse of neck that was now exposed to her.
Regina leaned back, pressing against Emma, pulling her closer, unwilling to lose what contact she had. Emma fought the urge to continue further, knowing in the back of her mind, she'd already crossed a line, one that she couldn't undo, even with the excuse of alcohol, she had gone too far. And while that little voice nagged at her, she really didn't care, pushing the limits as the lines blurred.
A noise behind her caused her to jump and break away from Regina, her eyes darkened with passion, and a blush rising upon the face of the other. A storm had started, the noise she'd heard was thunder following a lightning strike outside. She regained control of her breathing, saying nothing to Regina, she was unsure of what to say, if anything could even be said, their moment of stolen passion gone between them. But at least, she knew, even if she couldn't have the other woman, she liked her, or at least liked what had passed between them.
Emma reclaimed her seat, on the far end of the couch, and sat staring straight ahead, unwilling to look at the other woman sat with her, sipping her drink in silence. The sound of the rain pitter pattered against the roof, calming, relaxing. Moments passed between the two and finally Regina stood abruptly, "I'm going to bed now, goodnight."
Not even waiting for a reply, she turned and left, leaving Emma sitting alone in the dimly lit room, still sipping her drink. She was still trying to process all of what happened, she had enjoyed it, and thought Regina had too, but now she wondered if she had managed to ruin everything between them. She'd told herself repeatedly she wouldn't do anything, she wouldn't allow anything to happen, but that hadn't lasted long. She cursed herself for being so weak, she knew she had to be strong, she'd allowed herself to fall into that situation, she knew she was drinking too much, at least too much to destroy what willpower she had concerning the other woman.
With a sigh and a sad trail of tears streaming silently down her face as she realized her friendship with the alluring brunette may well be over, she downed the last of the cider and stood. It was time for bed.