A/N - Swan Queen Week, Day Five: Soulmate AU. This one almost drove me insane, I had no idea how to go about it (that's why I fell behind on SQW), but finally here it is. I don't know if it's any good at all but I tried my best. And yes, I intend to finish all prompts for SQW within this week, and I appreciate with all my heart all of you lovely souls that still stick with me even when I'm failing. Thank you so much. A special shout out to juicecupswanqueen for the amazing reviews you left, I'm still crying, you're awesome, thanks for the support and for bringing my muse back. The title of this one is from the song Ho-Hey by The Lumineers. I hope y'all read it and enjoy it! xoxo
SHE'LL BE STANDING NEXT TO ME
It all started years and years ago.
7-year-old Emma Swan is bored as hell playing by herself at the hotel she and her parents are staying on their little weekend trip. Emma doesn't know anyone here and although she doesn't mind at all not having a playmate, she also went through all the things she could do to entertain herself alone.
That's when she sees across the pool a brunette girl right about her own age playing by herself too. Without giving any thought she goes to her.
"Hi," she greets sitting next to the girl in the edge of the pool.
The girl looks startled at first, but manages a shy smile back. "Hi."
"My name is Emma Swan," she says extending her hand.
"Mine is Regina Mills," the girl answers shaking the extended hand.
"You're pretty," Emma says. That's one thing you can always count on Emma Swan to do: say the first thing that comes to her head.
Regina blushes at this. "Thank you," she manages to say looking away. Then she turns back to Emma. "You too," she lifts her hand and touches Emma's blonde ponytail. "I like your hair."
"Thanks," Emma says back, beaming. "I like you, Regina Mills."
"You're funny," Regina says between giggles. "I like you too."
"One day we're gonna get married," Emma states.
Regina looks at her confused. "What?"
"My mom says when two people like each other, they get married," Emma explains like it's the simplest thing in the world.
"Oh," Regina nods her understanding. "Okay, then."
Emma grins at this. "Come," she takes Regina's hand. "Let's play together."
And the two girls go running around the hotel, enjoying each other's company on the best weekend ever.
Six years later, it happened again.
It's in one of the games for the interstate basketball championship between high schools. Regina's school from Boston is playing against some school from New York. She attended the game, not really for the game itself, she just wanted to get out of her house and hang out with her friends.
She's about to enter the gymnasium with her friends when a bus stops outside with some students coming from the other school to watch the game. They stay behind to see (and judge) the other students; that's when she sees a flash of a blonde hair shining in the sunlight. She walks a few steps ahead to get a better look just as the owner of said blonde hair turns to her direction, and their eyes meet.
Instantly a grin takes over Emma Swan's features, and Regina's involuntary response is to grin back at her as they walk towards each other.
"Regina Mills," Emma says when they get close.
"Emma Swan," Regina nods her acknowledgment.
"You remember me," Emma points out, half surprised half ecstatic.
"You have really nice hair, I couldn't forget it," Regina shrugs in response.
Emma chuckles. "This is crazy! I never thought I would see you again!"
"Me neither," Regina says shaking her head. It's quite unbelievable.
"It's been years, we have so much to talk!" the blonde exclaims.
"Too bad the game is about to start," the brunette comments looking disappointed.
"Who cares about the stupid game?" Emma scoffs, and then she holds out her hand. "Let's get out of here, get some milkshake and talk!"
"Okay, then," Regina says smiling while taking the offered hand.
And for all the time during the game and the after party, they just sat outside the gymnasium with their milkshakes, talking.
Four years later, it happened one more time.
Emma is in Springfield attending her favorite band's concert, which means she's basically just jumping and screaming at the stage. She had lost her friends to the crowd but she didn't care; she has her booze (illegal, of course) and her favorite songs, she's peachy.
That until some jerk bump into her so hard her drink now lies on the floor.
"What the fuck!" she curses angrily turning to confront said jerk.
"Look where you're going, asshole!" the person exclaims also angrily turning to her.
That's when their eyes meet.
"Emma Swan," Regina says with a shit eating grin. "Of course."
"Regina Mills," Emma says beaming back. "I should have known. There's only one person that always comes crushing into my life."
They laugh and hug each other. And they don't leave each other's sides until the show is over and everyone has to go home.
"I had the best time, as I always do when we bump into each other over the years," Emma says to Regina when they're leaving, somewhere between happy for their time together and sad that they have to part ways.
"Do you think this is the last time? I mean, what are the odds that we will find each other again?" Regina says back and she seems terrified at the prospect of not seeing Emma Swan again.
"Nah, we'll totally see each other again," Emma reassures her, and she actually believes it. She feels like Regina Mills is always gonna be a presence in her life.
"Promise?" Regina asks insecurely.
Emma stops and turns to fully face her. When the blonde's bright green eyes lock with Regina's deep brown ones, the air around them suddenly gets heavier. She holds out her hand and Regina takes it, squeezing hard. "I promise," the blonde says with certainty.
Then Regina realizes what she's feeling right now and that makes her stop breathing for a second: she wants to kiss Emma.
It's the strangest thing because she had never felt that before in her entire life. She's not… into girls, never was. She had never wanted to kiss another girl before. But right now with Emma she does, oh she wants it so badly, and it's making her feel really weird, like scared and excited and horrified and happy all at once.
Does Emma feel this way too? Does she want to kiss Regina too?
The answer comes as Emma steps closer to Regina and puts her hands on the back of the brunette's neck, whispering "I'm gonna kiss you now."
"Okay, then," it's all Regina manages before practically launching herself in Emma's arms.
It's a crash of lips and teeth and although it's clumsy it's also a freeing sensation, and they melt together on it. As soon as Emma's tongue touches Regina's the brunette feels an energized pulse runs through her entire body, making her lightheaded and her heart almost beat its way out of her ribcage. A wave of heat reaches every inch of her body and she feels so satisfied with the sensation, and a little bit terrified that she might never feel this again.
They break apart and they part ways, hoping and dreaming that this won't be the ending of their story.
It wasn't. Another four years later, it happened once more.
Regina and her friends decided to spend their Spring Break on a road trip through some cities. They're in New York now, their last stop before going home. One of Regina's friends knows a guy who owns a bar in the city, and after two days of wandering around NYC, they decide to spend their last night here at the bar, just relaxing.
As they arrive at the bar they made their way to the counter to order their drinks before sitting. Regina's stays behind her friends, glancing around the room looking for a table while the others order their drinks.
"What can I get ya?" the bartender asks, and as soon as the familiar voice reaches Regina's ear she snaps her head around to stare at the person.
When their eyes meet, green and brown once more get lost in each other. And then both women just laugh. Hysterically laugh.
The people next to the counter, including Regina's friends, stare at them frowning but they don't care. They're way too shocked and happy to give a damn about it.
When their laughter dies, Emma states "I told you we would see each other again."
"You promised me, actually," Regina points out still beaming.
"And I fulfilled my promise," Emma smiles back.
"That you did."
"And to honor that and celebrate our paths crossing yet again, the first drink for you and your friends is on the house," the blonde announces solemnly.
They sit at the counter and stay there until late night; then Regina's friends decide to go back to the hotel and have a good night of sleep. She however stays with Emma, the blonde promising to take her home safe and sound after her shift ends.
When they arrive at the hotel later, Regina invites Emma to her room for a last beer before saying goodbye yet again; they are so not ready for it.
"Do you wanna come in?" the brunette asks while they stand in the lobby.
"It's probably a bad idea," the blonde replies. It is a bad idea; the more they stall to say goodbye the harder it gets, and it's not gonna help them at all.
"Of course," Regina agrees.
They stay silent for a moment, just stealing glances from each other.
"Do you wanna come in anyway?" Regina asks arching a perfect sculpted eyebrow.
"Definitely," Emma replies with a smirk.
Once they're alone in Regina's room, the charged air between them gets thicker and there's no denying what they're craving right now.
"So, how do you plan on spending your last hours in New York?" Emma asks getting so close to Regina that there's no room for even half of Jesus in there.
The brunette then pushes the blonde to the bed and climbs on top of her, straddling her lap. "I got a few ideas."
It happened one more time three years later.
Emma is visiting a bank on Boston to collect financial advice on the market there. Her boss wants to branch out his franchise and is considering Boston as a place to open another bar. She offered to go there and feel the area up, hoping that if she plays her cards right she can gain his trust to be manager of one of his bars.
Exactly when she presses the button of the floor she's having her meeting, she hears someone calling "Hold the elevator!" and she automatically puts her arm on the elevator door.
When the person enters the metal cubicle murmuring a breathy 'thanks' without looking up, Emma wants to slap fate in the face.
"Are you fucking kidding me?!" the blonde exclaims while a startled Regina turns to face her.
Her brown eyes find Emma's green ones, and she shakes her head like she can't quite believe this is happening and at the same time expecting it. "I think the universe is sending us a message."
"I agree, why else would we keep finding each other like this?" Emma muses. Then after a moment she holds out her hand for the other woman to take it. "I missed you, Regina Mills."
"I missed you too, Emma Swan," she says taking the offered hand and entwining their fingers. "But I'm tired of this."
"Of finding me?" Emma asks trying not to sound disappointed at the prospect (and failing miserably).
"Of missing you," Regina clarifies pulling the blonde closer.
Emma opens a shit eating grin at this. "Well, we should do something about that."
Regina beams back at her. "Okay, then."
Two years later.
"Here's to 17 years of finding each other!" Emma yells holding up her glass of champagne.
"And to 2 years and counting of not missing each other!" Regina yells back holding up her own glass.
"Cheers to the brides!" someone shouts from the back of them ball room, and everybody follows shouting their own celebrations.
After their last reunion at the elevator, they decided it was time to stop messing up with fate and get together already.
Turns out it wasn't so hard. Regina worked as financial advisor at that same bank, and helped Emma set up everything to convince her boss to open his new bar in Boston. He did, and after a lot of begging he pointed Emma to manage his new business. Less than six months after the elevator meeting Emma and Regina were already living together in Boston and not needing to find each other again.
And now they were making it all official with a big ass wedding.
"I told you we would get married one day," Emma says holding her wife close.
"And I never doubted you," Regina says back placing a chaste kiss on her wife's lips.
"Come on," the blonde holds out her hand. "Let's have our first dance as a married couple."
The brunette takes the hand. "Okay, then," she agrees following her wife to the dance floor. "Let's see how gracious this swan is!"
Another two years later.
"Let's get this big boy out, shall we?" the Doctor says positioning himself between Emma's legs, encouraging her to push the baby out. The woman is screaming senseless, her only way to cope with the excruciating pain of labor. Well, that and squeezing her wife's hand to the point of almost breaking.
Not that Regina really minds it, she is too focused on whispering reassuring words on her wife's ear, her adrenaline spiking to a level that made her pretty much numb.
"Big boy?" Emma's whining fills the room. "How big exactly? Because there's tiny space for him to go through, if he's too big we probably shouldn't push, right?"
"Shh, babe, you got this," Regina continues to whisper in Emma's ear. "You have the strongest vagina I've ever seen, you can do this."
Emma chuckles between sweat whimpers. "Wait, I thought I was the only one. How many other vaginas have you seen?"
"Well, only my own, but yours is still the strongest," Regina replies smiling at her sweaty wife.
"Agree to disagree," it's all Emma says before letting out an agonizing scream. "I can't do this, Regina, I can't. I thought I could when the time came but I can't."
"Yes you can baby, I know you can," Regina says back removing the blonde hair she loves so much that's sticking on her wife's forehead from the sweat.
"No, no I can't," she says crying profusely. "I'm not strong enough, Gina. You're the strong one, you should be the one doing this."
"Yes, well, it's too late now to think about that, isn't?" the brunette says trying to not sound annoyed by Emma's sudden change of mind.
"Not helping!" the blonde says between gritted teeth before another scream. "Oh God, I can't! Please, Regina, please! I can't do this!"
"Okay, babe, look at me," Regina holds Emma's head with her hands to force to look into her eyes. "You can do this, I know you can. Do you believe in me?" Emma nods her yes. "Well, I believe in you. And I need you to do this for me. It's all I want right now. Can you do this for me?"
Emma nods her yes again. "But only because it's for you," she says under her breath, sounding very much like a stubborn child that has to do something she doesn't want to but her parents told her to do.
Regina smiles at her wife's childish behavior; it's mostly infuriating when she behaves like that but sometimes it's just endearing, like right now. Emma then holds out her hand for Regina to take it again, and she does.
After a few rounds of crying, screaming, cursing and pushing, a loud cry echoes from between Emma's legs and the big boy is finally born.
The nurse deposits the newborn in Regina's arms, and she takes him to see his tired and stressed other mother. "I told you that you could do it," she says looking at the woman.
"Shut up," Emma says back grumpily. Then her features soften when Regina gets closer. "Aaaaw, he's so cute," Emma says lifting her head a little to look at the baby's face. "And small. He seemed so bigger inside me; did he shrink on the way out?"
Regina chuckles at her wife's comments. "Say hi to silly mommy! Hi silly mommy!" she exclaims in a higher voice lifting the baby's fist.
Emma giggles at her usual so composed wife looking so smitten with the little guy. "He looks like you," she says after a moment of contemplation. "I know it's not possible because we used my eggs and stuff, but he does. He's sassy like you."
Regina lets out a throaty laugh and leans in to kiss Emma's forehead. "Okay, then."
"Sorry, we have to take him now to wash and clothe him properly," the nurse says approaching them, and a very reluctant Regina puts the baby in her arms. "What shall we call this little prince?"
"Henry," Emma answers beaming at her wife. "Henry Swan-Mills."
Seven years later.
"Moms, what's a soulmate?" Henry asks one day when they're walking at the park together.
"Soulmate? Where did you hear that?" Emma asks him.
"Grace said the other day at school," he shrugs. "She said that Nick is her soulmate, but I don't know what that is."
"Well, a soulmate is someone you're destined to be with," Regina starts patiently. "It's that person that will always be with you, even when they're not. And you'll always find each other in the end because you're meant to be together, and you want to be together. Forever. Doesn't matter how far apart you are from them, they'll always come back to you."
"Hmm," he murmurs to himself, digesting her answer. After a moment he asks her, "like you and Mom?"
Regina grins widely at his clever assumption. "Yes, sweetheart. Exactly like your mother and I."
When she looks up at her wife, Emma has something in her bright green eyes, such a powerful emotion that takes Regina's breath away.
Henry, oblivious to what's going on with his mothers, breaks the moment. "Boats!"
Both women turn to where their son is pointing and in fact there are little boats available for people to navigate within the little lake in the park.
"Look Mom, it's shaped like a swan!" he points out pulling at Emma's hand.
"Yes, I can see that little man! And they have crowns on their heads, look!" she says back gesturing to the top of one of the little boats. "It's a Swan Queen!"
"Awesome!" the boy exclaims already running into the direction of the little boats. "We have to go in one of those!"
"Alright Henry, but don't run!" Regina calls out after him.
Emma turns to Regina smiling and holds out her hand for her to take. "Let's take a ride on the love-boat, my soulmate?"
Regina smiles back at her beautiful wife. "Okay, then."
And they lived happily ever after.
the end