Emma was wallowing. There was no other word for it.
The girl she liked didn't like her back, they'd gotten into a fight and now she was sitting in her parent's apartment in two day old clothes eating ice cream out of the carton.
If she'd had the energy to be anything but heartbroken she would have found it pathetic. Some resilient part of her had been jumping up and down, screaming for her to get a hold of herself.
She'd drowned that part out as easily as she drowned her ice cream in chocolate sauce.
Even Henry had grown tired of her self pity. He'd announced that morning that he was going out and without even stopping to check if it was all right with her, or let her ask where he was off to, he was out the front door.
Emma had vaguely considered going after him, her motherly instincts suggesting that she at least find out where he was going to be for safety reasons. Ultimately she'd decided against it. Henry was an independent kid and if she started monitoring his every move he'd resent it.
Besides, what more trouble could he possibly get into considering all they'd already survived together?
Together. The word echoed inside of her, latching onto the name of the one person she was trying desperately not to think of.
Don't think about her, don't think about her. It had become Emma's mantra. A wholly ineffective one that did nothing to stem the tide of melancholy thoughts that seemed to seep in of their own accord, accompanied by the faint smell of perfume.
Emma was finally roused out of her misery by the sound of footsteps approaching her door. The clambering, soft canvassed steps of Henry were easily recognisable. As was the high heeled clipping of a certain ex-Mayor.
He wouldn't! Emma thought.
As they got closer, Emma scrambled off the couch, hurriedly wiping ice cream from the front of her unwashed sweats.
She was half way through an attempt to pull her oily, tangled hair into a respectable pony tail when the door swung open to reveal her son. And his mother.
"Hey, look who I found." Henry announced unnecessarily.
The kid was a terrible liar. His eyebrows were practically waggling. He was like a used car salesman trying to convince a novice consumer that a decrepit old car was a mint condition classic. He'd gone to get Regina, as Emma should have suspected he would. Henry was never more at home than when he was meddling in other people's business.
Henry looked between the two women, feeling the tension radiating off both of them.
"I'll be on the landing if anyone needs me."
And before either woman could protest he was gone, climbing the staircase that would lead him to the outside fire escape.
Regina came further into the room, hesitantly. She was treating Emma like a dangerous snake that could strike at any moment.
"Is it okay that I'm here?" she asked softly.
Emma's eyes narrowed and she answered in a snide tone. "I don't know, you tell me. It might not be safe for you to be around someone so delusional."
The hurt in Emma's voice was evident, despite the fact that she tried to bury it under anger. Regina steeled herself for the conversation to come, willing Emma's mind and heart to remain open to what she had to say.
"I'm sorry," she said heavily, pushing the weight of her conviction into the two words.
"For?" Emma wasn't going to let her off lightly.
"For the things I said. They were hurtful and uncalled for and I'm sorry."
Emma let the apology hang in the air, giving off the distinct impression that she was waiting for something a little more substantial. When it didn't come she shook her head and turned away from Regina.
"Fine," Emma said dismissively. "You're forgiven. You can go."
"No..Emma..wait!"
Emma turned back to see that Regina had taken a few steps towards her. The brunettes hands were nervously reaching out and then drifting back to her sides.
Just like Henry's, Emma thought.
"You...you know I didn't mean any of that don't you?"
Emma felt her anger flare again.
"Didn't you? Because you sounded pretty damn sure of yourself."
"I was afraid," admitted Regina.
The confession alone was enough to grab Emma's attention. Regina copping to a weakness was a fairly rare and startling occurrence.
"Of what Regina?" asked Emma bewildered. "I told you I wasn't going to hurt you!"
"It's not that..."
"Then what is it?" Emma urged. She didn't want Regina to withdraw again, not when they were so close to finally getting all of their cards on the table.
"I feel for you Emma but I can't be with you. I can't be with anyone like that."
"You were with Daniel," Emma insisted.
"Daniel was special," came Regina's quick reply.
"Why?"
"What do you mean why?"
"Why was he special?"
Regina felt herself growing flustered. This was not how she pictured this conversation going. It was unnerving, the way Emma found hidden cracks past Regina's defences, shedding light on buried parts of her wherever she went. Unnerving and exciting.
"This is ridiculous. He was special because...because..."
"Because he loved you?"
"Yes!"
The broken tone in Regina's voice caused an ache to swell in Emma's heart. She took the few steps that would close the distance between them before speaking.
"Regina. Loving you isn't some remarkable feat. Daniel wasn't special because he loved you. He was special because you loved him"
Emma reached out and grabbed Regina's hands, surprised and pleased when the dark haired woman allowed the physical contact.
"And just for the record, I'm not asking you to love me. I would never pressure you like that."
"But I could." Regina's voice was small and frightened. The voice of a young girl who had known nothing but heartache. "If I let this happen I could fall in love with you."
"And?" said Emma, confused. "That would be bad because?"
Regina's response tried to be haughty but ultimately came off as sad and tired.
"I don't know if you've noticed dear but the people I love have a tendency to die. Sometimes at my hand."
Emma let Regina's hands drop and Regina frowned, fearing the worst. She let her head hang forward despondently.
Regina had dreaded Emma realising that a relationship between them would be a mistake but it had to happen. It was the only way to keep her safe. Anyway, better that it happened now and not a few months down the track when she'd allowed all her barriers to fall away.
Just as she was about the make her exit, Regina felt two warm hands encircling her waist, pulling her forward. She looked up to find Emma staring at her intensely, a small crooked smile pulling at the corner of her mouth.
"I've survived Gold trying to blow us both up, Sidney cutting the brakes to my car, an attempted poisoning, a wraith attack, ogres, pirates, giants and your mother's hand in my chest. Not to mention our most recent adventure with the shiny green death curse. I think it's times to face facts Regina – you're stuck with me. I'm sort of invincible."
With the smell of Emma's body encasing her and the soft but firm press of the blonde woman's fingers on her waist, Regina was quickly forgetting why she had ever thought this was a bad idea. She leaned forward, pressing her forehead to Emma's.
"Thank heavens for that." she whispered.
Emma sensed the tingle of absolute joy spread through her as she felt Regina relax into her arms. This was actually happening. A good deal of her couldn't believe it – had never really thought Regina would give her a chance. But she had. She was. And Emma intended to take it.
"So..." she said quietly. "What happens now?"
"Well, Henry mentioned that these sorts of stories usually end with a kiss..."
Not needing any more invitation than that, Emma lifted one hand to the back of Regina's head.
"Clever boy," she breathed, before pressing her lips to Regina's.
It felt like a homecoming. Emma tasted the familiar combination of dark chocolate and mint in her mouth, not realising until that point how much her mouth had missed the flavour.
The kiss started out sweet and tentative until a slow keening sound emanating from the back of Regina's throat enticed Emma's tongue to become involved.
As their mouths and bodies opened to each other, their passion escalating, Regina gripped Emma's shoulders to keep from toppling over. They were pressed tightly to one another, clinging almost, with a desperation that had been growing inside them for weeks.
Emma finally broke the kiss, her lungs demanding air. They were still holding each other, panting slightly, when a deep voice bellowed from the apartment doorway.
"What the hell is going on here?"
Well there you have it folks, the long awaited kiss. And not a fist in sight – well not in this chapter at least. Any prizes for guessing the identity of our interrupter?