Emma woke Regina gently upon entering their dorm room by rubbing her shoulder.
"Gina… I'm back," she whispered, leaving her hand on the girl's arm.
Regina's body jerked slightly, startled by the sudden touch, and opened her eyes quickly to find Emma leaned over her.
"Hi," the blonde said softly, stroking her lover's hair back. "I'm gonna crash. Just wanted to let you know I'm home, like you asked me to."
"Wait," Regina said, throat dry from sleep, as Emma turned to move toward her own bed on the other side of the room.
"Get some sleep, love. I don't want to crowd you. You need your rest."
"Don't be stupid," the brunette mumbled. "Get in here."
Chuckling softly, Emma slipped under the sheets as Regina scooted over and held them up. As soon as her lover was laying down, Regina snuggled closer, draping her arm over Emma's waist. Emma smiled at this, but Regina was not completely satisfied with the position, so she shifted her weight and rolled slightly until she was lying on top of the blonde.
"Goodnight, Regina."
"Wait."
"What is it, love?"
"What happened?"
"What do you mean?"
"Are you okay? You don't sound…"
"What? Drunk?" Emma laughed. "I drank a lot right when I got there and stopped drinking shortly after that. The buzz has pretty much worn off by now."
"So… How was your night?"
Regina sounded slightly reserved and cautious, so Emma confessed, "It was… rough, honestly. I bawled my eyes out in front of Belle… and then…"
"Then?"
"Ruby showed up."
Emma felt Regina's body stiffen slightly before the girl replied, "What did she say?"
"Can we talk about this in the morning? You're tired."
"No. Let's talk now." When Emma hesitated, Regina added, "Please."
With a sigh, Emma answered, "She called me a slut… then told me she's in love with me."
"Shit…"
"Yeah. Tell me about it."
"Well… What did you say?"
"Not much. Just that I was sorry for my hand in things and for breaking her heart the way I did. And that I didn't want to lose her as a friend."
Swallowing hard as she processed what her lover had said, Regina asked, "And what did she say to that?"
"She said… Well… She basically just said… that she couldn't handle being my friend…"
Sensing Emma was leaving something out, the brunette pressed, "Emma. What else did she say?"
"She said she can't look at you without 'wanting to punch your lights out' and that she can't look at me without 'picturing me fucking' her."
"Wow…"
Again, Emma sighed, unsure of what else she could say. She knew it didn't sound great, but she couldn't really gauge Regina's reaction, which made her anxious.
"What are you thinking?" she finally asked.
Regina looked directly into Emma's eyes before answering, "I'm thinking that I'm glad you're mine now… and…"
"And?"
"And that I hate thinking about you fucking her."
"Well, don't then. It's not like I'll ever—"
"It's not that easy. You just brought it up. It's not like I can pretend it didn't happen, considering it happened over, and over… and over…"
"Regina…"
"Yes?"
"I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry. I wish I could take it all back. I wish I hadn't been such a slut. But I just… I just need you to know that I love you. And that you're the only one who's ever made me feel whole."
After a pause, Regina told her lover, "I feel the same way about you. I've never wanted anyone the way I want you."
This earned a smile from Emma, who leaned up to kiss the brunette's forehead.
"I love you, Gina."
"I love you too." There was another pause, this time long enough to become awkward, before Regina asked, "Is she better than me?"
"What?"
"In bed."
"What?"
"Well? Is she?"
"Regina… Don't do this."
Then, Regina sat up, kneeling between Emma's legs, and looked down at the blonde.
"I want to know."
"Listen, that's not important, okay? It's different."
"How?"
"How what?"
"How is it different?"
"I… Well…"
"Yeah. It's not."
"It's different because I'm in love with you!" Emma explained, exasperated.
"I'm not asking who you're in love with. I know you're in love with me. I'm asking you if she was better at fucking you."
"No."
"No what?"
"No, she wasn't better at fucking me, Regina."
"I feel like you're lying…"
"What? Why?"
"Because I know I'm rubbish in bed. I know you just—"
"Whoa. Whoa. Where the fuck is this coming from? You are not rubbish in bed!"
"You brought it up."
"Look, don't shoot the messenger, okay? I'm just relaying what she said. I'm just trying to be open and honest with you."
"And I appreciate that, so don't stop there. Tell me the truth."
"I am. You're incredible in bed, Regina Mills. Incredible." When Regina didn't look convinced, Emma added, "I promise you that."
"What about Belle?"
"Oh, my God, Regina. Stop."
"Well?"
"No, Regina! She was not better at fucking me! Can we stop talking about this now? It's making me feel sick."
"Huh? Why?"
"Because I don't like thinking about having sex with them, okay?"
"Why not?"
"I just don't, okay? It's in the past, and I'm not proud of it. It makes me feel guilty and ashamed. And you're not helping right now."
"Fuck…" Regina breathed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. I just… get… jealous, I guess. It's stupid. So stupid. I'm sorry."
"There's no one in this world I'd rather be with than you. And there is definitely no one I'd rather fuck or make love to."
Regina smiled at this, leaning down to kiss her lover's lips before saying, "I love you, Emma," and curling up against the girl's chest.
Time passed quickly over the next few weeks, until finally, they were at the very end of the semester. Emma had been going to her classes, despite her imminent failure, which made Regina exceedingly proud. She'd been right, of course: Emma was there to hone her skills as an artist, not for a degree, and her determination was made obvious by her choice to attend the rest of her classes.
"I'm not going in for finals, though," Emma told Regina over dinner.
Pausing and looking at her partner curiously, Regina slowly nodded her head and replied, "I can understand that."
"I'll turn in my final portfolios, but I'm not taking the tests. There's really no point."
"Alright."
"I'm going to write my teachers letters."
"What do you mean, dear?"
"You know… Just… thank you's. For putting up with my shit."
"That's really sweet, Em. Really, really sweet. I think that's a great idea," Regina told her lover with a bright smile. Again, she found herself exceedingly proud, so she told Emma so, saying, "I can't tell you how proud of you I am. You've come such a long way. Your whole attitude has changed, and it's really… It's really inspiring."
Emma blinked a few times, staring at Regina, before saying, "Thanks, hun…"
Reaching across the table for Emma's hand, Regina smiled.
"So, what did you say?" Regina asked gently as she watched Emma put each letter into an envelope for her respective teachers.
"That's top secret," the blonde teased, holding the letters to her chest.
"Oh, c'mon. Tell meee."
Her lover's playful whine was enough to convince Emma to share, so she pulled one out of its unsealed envelope and began to read, "Dear Mr. Stark, I just wanted to say that I very much appreciate your dedication and persistence concerning my development as a student and an artist. I apologize to have disappointed you and to have failed the tasks you appointed to me, but I want you to know that I have a deep gratitude for everything I've learned from you, and I wish you all the best. Sincerely, Emma Swan."
"Wow, Emma," Regina said softly. "That's… That's really amazing."
"What? Why?"
"Because it was very mature. You could have taken on the opposite attitude of bitterness and resentment for them failing you, but instead, you took it in stride and were able to express your gratitude to them for their desire to see you succeed."
With a shrug, Emma mumbled, "I guess so. Anyway… How was your day?"
"Actually… I wanted to talk to you about that…"
"Oh?" When Regina was silent for a moment or two, Emma asked nervously, "Good or bad?"
"Good, I think."
"You think?"
"Well… I got some letters in the mail today."
"Yeah?"
"And… I got two scholarships for next year…"
"Oh, my gosh, babe! That's so great! I am so proud of you!" Emma exclaimed, leaping towards her lover and throwing her arms around the girl. "I knew you could do it."
"I guess I'm just really lucky," Regina said softly. "The portfolios I submitted weren't even that good."
"Oh, my God, Regina. Shut up. They were amazing! I knew they'd love you!"
"Em…"
"Yes, love?"
"Thank you so much for finding them for me and helping me apply. I really, really appreciate it. I literally owe my entire education to you now. I would've had to drop out, and—"
"I'd do anything to help you follow your dreams, Regina. Anything."
With a soft smile, Emma kissed the girl's forehead, then lifted her chin to catch her lips.
"You are amazing, Emma Swan," Regina sighed. "Simply amazing. I don't know how I got so lucky to have met you."
"Luck has nothing to do with it."
Emma smiled at her lover before kissing her again and pulling her into a tighter hug.
On the last day of school, the air between them was tense. It was strange to think that Regina would be returning to the school and that Emma would not be. It was bittersweet for both of them.
"Em?" Regina asked, finding her lover sitting on her bed, which had been stripped of its sheets. "You okay?"
"Y-Yeah," Emma managed to choke out. "I just… Um…"
Offering the girl an encouraging smile, Regina sat down beside Emma on her bed and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
"It's okay, baby. You can tell me."
"I'm.. I'm gonna…" Emma tried, but the knot in her throat gripped her tightly, and a sob struck her abruptly, making her chest heave and a loud, mournful noise escape her as she began to cry. "I'm j-just g-gonna miss it here."
"Oh, honey," the brunette whispered softly, rubbing Emma's back. "It'll be alright. We're starting a new adventure. A new chapter in our lives. Together. We get to move into the new place tonight, and everything is going to be fine."
"It's j-just… I met y-you here," Emma gasped through sobs. "It's… s-special."
"I know, darlin'. I know."
Holding the girl a little tighter, Regina placed a kiss on the top of her lover's head to comfort her. Slowly, Emma's tears stopped, and she was able to breathe normally again. Still, the pain in her chest would not subside.
As she stood up from the mattress, she grabbed a cardboard box on her dresser and told Regina, "I'm gonna take a load over to the apartment, okay?"
"Alright… Just… chin up, okay? I'll see you there tonight."
Since Regina had two more classes that day, they'd agreed that Emma would do the back-and-forth with the few boxes they had, and that Regina would do the unpacking. After two trips that filled Belle's car to its maximum capacity, all of their things were at the new place.
"Well, here you are," Belle announced happily. "This place is cool. Can't wait to come over and party."
Emma laughed at this, shaking her head.
"No way, kid. I don't want this place trashed. Besides, Regina would kill us."
With a nod of agreement and a wide smile, Belle gave her friend a tight hug, saying, "Well, let's get to it, huh?"
"Get to what?"
"Unpacking, silly. You're gonna surprise her by having everything done when she gets home tonight."
"What? Everything?"
"Sure. Why not?"
"Because… I don't know."
"You moved from a tiny dorm room. There wasn't that much shit. You guys are gonna have to go buy pots and pans and stuff. But what's here now? We can get settled no problem. I'll help."
"Thank you, Belle… I really appreciate all your help today."
After another nod and hug, the two began to unpack.
When Regina walked into the apartment after her classes that night, her jaw nearly fell to the newly cleaned floors.
"Oh my—" she started, but was stunned into silence when she saw the candles sitting on the coffee table burning brightly.
Emma was on the couch, and even though she'd heard Regina approaching outside their apartment, she looked up slowly only when she heard the girl speak.
"What's—" Regina started again, staring at the acoustic guitar on Emma's lap.
"Come sit," Emma offered warmly, nodding towards the recliner adjacent from her in the living room.
Blinking a few times to clear her confusion, Regina moved to the chair and sat down slowly.
Softly, Regina mused, "I didn't know you played," as she watched her lover carefully.
Beginning to strum the guitar with nimble, practiced fingers, Emma sang:
"Wise men say only fools rush in
But I can't help falling in love with you
Shall I stay?
Would it be a sin
If I can't help falling in love with you?
"Like a river flows surely to the sea
Darling so it goes
Some things are meant to be
Take my hand, take my whole life too
For I can't help falling in love with you."
Regina, of course, was staring, rendered speechless by the melodic sound of Emma's song.
"Sorry," Emma mumbled, setting the guitar down on the floor and leaning it against the couch. "Little rusty."
After a short moment of silence where Regina stared at Emma and Emma forced herself to look away, Regina stood up and walked over to the couch. After carefully moving the guitar to the side, she straddled Emma's lap without hesitation, cupping her face in her hands and kissing her hard. Only when they were both breathless did Emma pull away.
"What—" the blonde tried to ask, but Regina cut her off with another (shorter) kiss.
"You are the most amazing person I have ever met, Emma Swan."
As Regina stared down lovingly into her partner's eyes, Emma slid her hands over the girl's thighs.
"Thank you," Regina said softly, running her fingers through Emma's hair. "For everything."
With a blush, Emma replied, "No problem. Just doing my best to treat my girl like the princess she is."
"I couldn't ask for a better partner."
"Sure, you could. You could—"
"Hey. Don't. Just accept it, okay? You're perfect. You're more than I've ever dreamed of. So much more. And I wouldn't change anything about you."
This earned a smile from Emma, who wrapped her arms around the girl and embraced her.
"So," the brunette said, breaking the silence that had creeped up on them as they held each other. "What do you say we christen the new bed?"
Eyes wide, Emma nodded slowly, hoping that her lover meant the offer the way it sounded.
"That was amazing," Regina sighed happily, after their lovemaking.
"Oh yeah?" Emma asked with a grin.
"No, silly. Not that."
"What, then?"
"Your song, honey."
Emma blushed and looked away.
"When did you become such a romantic, hmm?"
Squirming uncomfortably under the covers, Emma muttered, "I'm not."
"Okay, ya little sap," Regina giggled. "But for the record, I loved it."
This inspired Emma to look up, meeting Regina's gaze.
"Yeah?"
"Mhmm. I love the sound of your voice. It's incredible."
"Nah," Emma mumbled, looking away again, but this time, Regina caught her chin and tilted her head up to kiss her.
"I love you."
"I love you too. Now, quit pickin' on me."
Laughing, Regina kissed the girl's forehead and nuzzled Emma's nose with her own, "Alright, babe. As you wish."
The next day, one that started off calm, was abruptly interrupted when Emma received a call from the local hospital.
"Hello?" she answered into the receiver.
"Yes, is this Emma Swan?"
"It is…"
"We wanted to call and inform you that your partner, Miss Mills, has been admitted to the hospital, and that she is currently in critical condition."
"What happened?!" Emma gasped. "Is she going to be alright?!"
"She was hit by a car on campus. It's best if you come down."
Emma spent the next six or seven hours sitting in a chair in Regina's hospital room, waiting for doctors to check on Regina and give her updates about how she was doing. Regina hadn't woken yet.
"Is she going to be alright?" Emma asked, each time a doctor or nurse entered the room.
"We don't know yet, Miss Swan. We're doing the best we can. All we can do now is monitor her vitals and keep her hydrated."
Of course, this only infuriated Emma, who exclaimed, "Can't you fucking do something?!"
She was quickly calmed down – at least to some degree – by the doctor when he said, "We're not going to let her go without a fight."
"Thank you," Emma mumbled. "I'm sorry I snapped."
"It's perfectly alright. We all understand how scary these things can be, but we're going to do everything we can to make sure that Miss Mills is—"
The doctor was cut off when Regina's parents appeared in the doorway to the room.
"Who the hell are you?" Regina's mother snapped, gesturing to Emma.
Never having met Regina's parents, Emma wasn't sure what to say, so she simply rose to her feet and said, "I'm Regina's roommate. I was just here in case she woke up. I've been sitting with her for six or seven hours now."
This calmed Regina's mother to a small degree, and she then received the same reassurance from the doctor that Emma had.
After four more hours, visiting hours were over, and the doctors announced that they had to leave. Regina's parents did this without emotion or protest, but Emma lingered behind and stopped the nurse before she left the room.
"Um… Miss," Emma addressed her politely. "Would… I know… I know visiting hours are over, but… if there's any way I could stay… I would greatly appreciate it. I just… I don't want her to wake up alone."
As tears welled in her eyes, the nurse sighed and said, "Alright. But stay in here and be quiet. Other patients are sleeping."
"Thank you so much."
Emma stayed awake, holding Regina's hand the whole night. Just as dawn was rising and the first rays of the morning sun were streaming through the window shades, Regina's eyes fluttered open.
"Babe!" Emma gasped, immediately pulling her chair closer to the bed. "Oh, my God. Are you alright? Does it hurt?"
"Fuck yes, it hurts," Regina groaned weakly, squeezing her eyes shut.
The expression of pain on her face urged Emma to immediately push the button to call a nurse, who appeared almost instantly.
"Oh, good!" the nurse cried with a broad smile. "Miss Mills is awake."
"She's in pain," Emma cut in quickly. "Can you get her something?"
"Of course. We'll turn up the morphine drip and that should help shortly."
Sighing in relief, Emma squeezed Regina's hand and whispered, "It's gonna be okay, baby. I'm right here."
"Don't leave me, Em," Regina whined, trying to squeeze Emma's hand in return but finding the strength to do so very much missing.
"I will never leave you."
The expression of pain and concern faded slowly from Regina's features, and she relaxed slightly as she listened to the sound of Emma's voice.
Once she heard the nurse leave the room, Regina whispered, "Emma…"
"Yes, honey. I'm right here," the blonde replied, stroking the back of Regina's hand with her thumb.
"Sing to me." At first, Emma hesitated, but when Regina muttered, "Please," she had to give in.
It took her a moment to gather the courage to sing, and the words were soft at first.
"I can only give you love that lasts forever,
And a promise to be near each time you call.
And the only heart I own
For you and you alone
That's all,
That's all...
"I can only give you country walks in springtime
And a hand to hold when leaves begin to fall;
And a love whose burning light
Will warm the winter's night
That's all,
That's all."
After managing two verses, Emma's voice cracked, a lump rising in her throat as she tried not to cry.
Regina responded to her silence almost instantly, begging, "Sing the rest, honey. Please."
Blushing slightly, Emma continued:
"There are those I am sure who have told you,
They would give you the world for a toy.
All I have are these arms to enfold you,
And a love time can never destroy.
"If you're wondering what I'm asking in return, dear,
You'll be glad to know that my demands are small.
Say it's me that you'll adore,
For now and evermore
That's all,
That's all."
"You're an angel," Regina sighed, after Emma's song was finished.
"Hardly," Emma chuckled in reply, wiping a few tears from her eyes, onto the sleeve of her sweater.
"It must've hurt."
"What?"
"When you fell from Heaven."
"Oh, my God," Emma laughed. "Stop."
Finally, a smile spread over Regina's lips. Emma could tell that the medicine was working, because Regina's features had relaxed fully, and her face was no longer twisted into an expression of agony.
"You alright?" the blonde asked, stroking her lover's arm.
"Yeah. Better. I just feel… heavy. And dizzy."
"It's alright, babe. You'll be okay."
"I'm so glad you're here."
"Your parents came by, too. I'm sure they'll be back soon. It's morning now."
"Oh?"
"Mhmm. Your mom was none too pleased to see a stranger sitting in her daughter's hospital room."
"Did you tell her who you are?!" Regina gasped, her eyes snapping open.
"No… I just told her I was your roommate. I figured I'd leave it up to you to tell them, if you wanted to."
"I'll… I'll tell them, Emma," Regina sighed, when she saw the expression of dejection on Emma's face. "I just… need time. They already hate me enough for staying in art school."
With a weak nod, Emma dropped her gaze and sighed.
"I feel like a dirty secret," she finally said, rubbing her eyes.
"You're not," the brunette assured her, finally finding the strength to squeeze Emma's hand. "I just need to find the right moment to tell them."
"I should probably leave before they come back, then."
"Emma…"
"What?"
"Don't leave."
Looking curiously at her partner, Emma asked, "You sure you want me to stay?"
Regina nodded.
To Emma's surprise (but not to Regina's), Regina's parents did not show up the rest of the day. Emma didn't leave her side, except to use the restroom, and when Regina's parents hadn't appeared by six that night, Emma suggested that Regina call them.
"Yeah, okay," Regina mumbled. "But obviously they don't care."
When the call ended, Regina flopped back against the pillows and sighed.
"You okay, champ?" Emma asked, concerned.
"I think they've pretty much disowned me."
"Oh, come on. Surely, they can't—"
"I got a, 'That's nice, dear,' when I told them I was okay."
Biting her lip, Emma looked away for a moment before turning back to meet Regina's gaze and saying, "I'm sorry, Gina. I wish there was something I could do."
"There is…"
"There is?"
"You can promise to never leave me."
Laughing, Emma replied, "I've already done that."
"I just… I just want to hear it again."
"I promise, baby. I promise I will never leave you."
Regina remained in the hospital for several more days. Luckily, she'd finished all of her exams for the semester, and wasn't missing any classes. Emma barely left her side during her entire stay at the hospital.
Once they were back home, Emma took her opportunity to make them both a warm, home-cooked meal.
"What are you making?" Regina asked curiously, peering toward the kitchen from the lounge room.
"None of your business. Now, relax, like I told you to!"
Regina had made it out of the accident with two broken ribs and a concussion, and Emma was watching her like the FBI watch the people on the Most Wanted list. Of course, this was frustrating for Regina, because although it was excruciating to sit up, she hated being still for extended periods of time. It made her feel useless, especially when Emma was in the kitchen cooking dinner all by herself.
When Emma presented the meal to Regina, who was lying on the couch, Regina's eyes went wide.
"Is that… Is that turkey pot pie?" she gaped, clearly impressed.
"Yes, ma'am. Mom's recipe."
"Wow."
"Wow what? You didn't think I could cook, just because we always ate in the dining hall?"
"Well… Yeah…"
"I didn't have an oven!" Emma cried, exasperated. "I can cook! Try it and see." With a warm smile, Regina reached out and took the plate from her lover, after which Emma added, "Careful. It's hot."
Regina blew carefully on the slice of pot pie to cool it down before putting a forkful in her mouth. Instantly, her eyes closed, and she let out a soft moan of contentment as she swallowed.
Emma crossed her arms over her chest triumphantly and grinned, saying, "See? I can cook."
"What else can you make?" Regina asked happily, smiling up at her lover.
Emma blushed, confessing, "Well… Nothing, really. I mean, like, I can handle some mac n' cheese. And maybe spaghetti. But that's about it."
This made Regina burst out laughing before taking another forkful of the delicious meal.
"Shut up, okay?" Emma whined in protest. "At least I can make this."
"You did great, baby," Regina assured her, squeezing her hand. "Thank you so much for cooking for me."
"You're welcome."
With a shrug, Emma sat down on the couch beside her lover with her own plate of food and ate quietly until they were both finished.
"So, how's Regina doing?" Belle asked, when she and Emma were out for lunch one day over the summer.
"She's healing up really well, actually," Emma replied. "She should be good to go back to school by the time classes start up."
"That's great!"
"Yeah, totally."
"I should ask her what classes she's in to see if she's in any of mine."
"Yeah, I'm sure she'd love to pop pills with you in the middle of your pottery seminar," the blonde quipped, rolling her eyes.
"Hey, she likes me now! We've got no beef, man. We're chill."
"I know you're chill."
"Seriously, though, it'd be cool to hang with her and stuff. She's smart so, like… she could help me and stuff."
Emma laughed and nudged her friend's shoulder, saying, "You're ridiculous, you know that?"
With a nod, Belle offered silent agreement and a broad smile.
"Guess we'll see how it goes."
Upon seeing Regina limp into her first class of the day, Belle cried, "Regina!" and rushed to her side.
First, Belle took Regina's books, then smiled brightly and walked the girl to the nearest desk.
Sitting down slowly and wincing only slightly at the pain of the movement, Regina greeted the girl, "Hey, Belle."
"How are you, honey? I'm so glad you're in one of my classes!"
"Me too, actually. I'm okay, but I feel weird, like I don't know anyone."
"You'll be alright. I'm here for ya, babe. But I hear this class is gonna be a bitch."
"Yeah?"
"First-level drawing was so easy. But apparently second-level is brutal."
"Well, that's unfortunate, because I really don't know my way around with a pencil."
"I'm alright with it I suppose, but I still hate being judged on my work in school."
"Just like Emma," Regina chuckled, rolling her eyes.
Belle smiled again and replied, "Yep. Pretty much. Two peas in a pod, we are. It's too bad she's not here…"
This brought a heavy silence between them as both thought mournfully of Emma's past time at the school.
"Yeah," Regina finally sighed. "She was really sad last night. I mean, obviously she didn't say so, but… I could tell. She was trying to be happy for me. I kissed her goodbye this morning while she was sleeping, but I didn't want to wake her up to watch me go. I think it would've been too hard on her, so I just let her sleep. She doesn't have to work until later."
"Damn… I can only imagine how she just be feeling right now…"
"I think she's depressed, Belle. She hasn't painted anything all summer… She's been busy taking care of me and my stupid broken ribs."
"Oh, fuck. Really? I assumed she'd been working on stuff…"
"Yeah, well... Let's just say I haven't seen so much as a paintbrush since we moved into the apartment."
"I'm sorry, hun. I know it must be stressful on you to have to deal with school and the stuff going on with Em. I wish I could—"
"Good morning, class!" the teacher greeted them loudly, interrupting the chatter filling the classroom.
Both girls looked at each other with a knowing sigh and turned their attention to the front of the room.
When Regina arrived at the apartment that night, Emma heard her keys jingling in the hallway. Before Regina could touch the doorknob, Emma was opening the door to greet her.
Instead of looking excited to see Regina, like she usually did when the girl arrived home, Regina found her looking anxious.
"Hi, babe," Emma greeted her lover softly, still holding onto the door.
"Are you alright?" Regina blurted instantly. "Your face is totally white."
"Yeah, yeah. I'm f-fine," Emma said, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. "Come inside, goober."
With a slow nod and a look of suspicion, Regina stepped into the apartment and set her backpack down next to the door.
"Wait," Regina gasped. "Aren't you supposed to have a closing shift at work?!"
"Oh, uh… Um… Yeah, I, uh… I gave it away. I wanted to be here when you got home from your first day back at school."
"But, Em—"
As Regina started taking her shoes off, Emma interrupted her and announced, "I'm gonna go grab you a snack. Why don't you get comfortable on the couch?"
"Emma, you don't have to—"
"Regina. Go relax, honey. You've had a long day."
With a sigh and some reluctance, Regina turned away from her lover and made her way into the living room. At first, Emma turned away, as though she was going to walk to the kitchen, but once she heard Regina's feet hit the carpet of the living room, she turned back around and followed the girl quietly into the room.
As soon as Regina saw the large painted canvas propped up on an easel in front of the television, her hands few up to cover her mouth, but they failed to suffocate the audible gasp that escaped her lips.
When Regina turned around, Emma was down on one knee, with her arms extended. In her hands, she carefully cradled a small ring box.
On the canvas, over a multi-colored background, were the words, 'Will you marry me?' in white.
"Oh, my—" Regina started, but was cut off my Emma's soft, pleading words.
"Regina Mills… Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"
Then, the brunette shouted, "Oh, Emma! Of course!" and threw her arms around her lover, squeezing her tightly.
In return, Emma whispered, "I love you so much," and kissed Regina's temple.
"I didn't know you were painting!" Regina finally cried, after wiping the tears from her eyes.
Emma laughed at this, shrugging her shoulders and saying, "Yeah, well. The idea was to keep it a secret."
"But not even Belle knew!"
"Nope. She would've spoiled it," the blonde chuckled.
Regina laughed at this too and kissed Emma's lips slowly, cupping her face in her hands.
"I love you, Emma Swan. I can't wait to be your wife."
Lifting the girl into her arms, Emma carried Regina the few steps toward the couch and laid her down there, leaning her back against the pillows, then knelt between her legs. After kissing her several more times, savoring each one, Emma nuzzled Regina's nose with her own.
"Fuck, I was scared to do that," the blonde finally blurted out. "Terrified."
"Well, you certainly did look like you were going to be ill! But why be scared?"
"I thought you'd say no. That it was too soon."
"It probably is too soon," Regina laughed. "But I don't care. I want you, always." Blushing brightly, Emma kissed her again, but her lover pushed her away slowly and confessed, "I was so scared you were going to get discouraged and stop painting. Your art means everything to you. And to me. I would do anything in my power to support you, Emma. In anything you wanted to do. No matter what. I hope you know that."
"I do. But I will never give up on art," she added. "Just like I will never give up on you."
Beaming, Regina turned to glance at the large, colorful canvas and announced, "We're hanging it in our bedroom."
Laughing once again, Emma replied, "As you wish, darling. As you wish."
That's all, folks! El fin. It was the best I could do, and I think if I'd tried to write more, it would've been forced and flat, so I tried to keep it concise. I hope you all enjoyed the ride. Thank you SO much for all the favs, follows, and reviews!