AN: Sorry for any mistakes, this was done in a bit of a rush, and my dyslexic brain doesn't often improve when rushed.
Emmett grumbles to himself as he shuffles around Mary Margaret's classroom. His detention consists of cleaning the room while his foster mother marks papers and absently strokes her pregnant belly.
"There," he says, finishing piling the previously scattered textbooks on the counter along the side of the room. "Anything else?"
Her eyes scan the room: chairs on desks, books haphazardly tossed are stacked neatly, all loose bits of rubbish cleared and in the bin. "Looks good," she says with a quick look at her watch. "I want to cook dinner before David gets home, today. That man could burn salad." She shakes her head affectionately.
Emmett snorts out a laugh and helps Mary Margaret up, out of her seat. She's not so big yet that it's necessary but she'd been complaining about her back lately. She sorts her student's work into a pile, putting it in a plastic box to take home to finish marking. Emmett picks it up before she can even think about it.
They walk to the car park in a comfortable silence, Emmett shoving the box onto the seat of the truck before helping Mary Margaret up, behind the steering wheel; letting her push her weight on his arm and shoulder. He's about to walk back around to the passenger side when he sees Regina leaving the school gate.
"Regina," he calls. She turns and his heart nearly stops when she smiles at him. "Wait up?" She stays where she'd stopped. He turns back to Mary Margaret. "I'll meet you back at home?" He takes off jogging at her nod, holding his bag still at his side.
"Be home for dinner, please. Your father and I have to talk to you about."
Ominous, he thinks, but replies with an acknowledgment wave over his shoulder. "Will do." The reality that she'd called David his father doesn't hit him until he hears her start the truck, but the word doesn't scare him as it used to. In fact, he rather likes it, but he would never admit it to anyone—maybe Archie, maybe Belle, too, one day. He tries to suppress his grin at the thought.
"What're you doing at school so late?" he asks when he reaches Regina.
"Just talking with teachers about the curriculum and clubs, you?" They start walking.
"Belated detention." Her head tilts in cute confusion. "Didn't show up for the last one," he explains.
"Sounds about right, for you, dear."
"I'm glad I didn't go."
"Oh… and why is that?"
"I wouldn't have met you in the library if I had." He smirks at her eye roll and the way her lips quirk up briefly in the corners. It's started to feel like her way of showing affection towards him.
They walk in silence for a moment before curiosity gets the better of him. "Can I ask you a question?" He thinks back to the first time he'd asked that, and quickly adds, "You obviously don't have to answer it…"
She stiffens; if this question was anything like the first one he'd felt the need ask permission for, she wasn't sure if she wants to hear it. But she nods, she can refuse, and she feels comfortable that Emmett won't pressure her for an answer. Emmett seems to understand the need for privacy on personal things and confident enough not to feel self-conscious about someone not trusting him with an answer. Daniel always gets weird and awkward around her after she refuses to tell him something she feels is too private, which seems to be happening more and more lately.
"What was your dad like?"
Regina scrunches her eyebrows up; she hadn't expected that. "What...?"
"It's just you went with him instead of staying with your mum after the divorce. It's normally the other way round, though I don't blame you leaving your mum. I couldn't image the Mayor being with someone like… but you seemed to really…" He's rambling, he knows. He sighs. "I was just curious about what he was like." When she stops and stares at him, he adds, "I'm sorry, I… I shouldn't have asked. Just ignore me."
They stand there in silence while Regina seems to stare into nothing.
"Daddy was the kindest person I know." Emmett jumps slightly, not expecting her to answer. "He used to own the stables just outside of town. He'd bought it after the last owner had died and it'd basically been abandoned. He bought it because I was obsessed with horses; the thought of the horses being sold off and separated made me cry." She chuckles to herself. "When he'd told me what he'd done, the grin didn't leave my face for a week." Emmett smiles at the thought of an excited, little Regina bouncing around with joy.
She sobers. "He was the type of person to stay in a broken marriage for the sake of his child." She sighs at the wasted years. "I'd wanted to be like her, mother, I mean. She was confident and powerful, and she didn't let anything faze her. After the divorce, after we left, I finally saw the effect she'd had on him. He was only 46, but he looked so old and tired. She'd worn him down with her little power plays, constantly putting him down, all the negativity she'd spat at him. But he'd shielded me from that, grinned and bore it.
"He'd stayed with her because of me. He'd believed that everything she'd been doing was for my benefit. She'd said it a million times, 'Regina, everything I do is for you.' But after-" she cuts herself off. "But there was only so much until he couldn't believe her anymore and took me away. I just wish we'd left sooner, maybe his heart would have-" Tears have been trailing down her cheeks for a while. Her voice growing weaker and more strained as she continued, but once she'd started, she just couldn't stop until she finally broke into sobs.
Emmett moves before he can over think and put his foot in his mouth like last time. He wraps his arms around her. Her fists clench the sides of his shirt, under his jacket. Face buried in his chest, feeling his strength, she allows herself to lean into him, letting someone else keep her standing for once. When he feels her relax, he rests his cheek against the top of her head.
She doesn't cry for long. She takes control herself before it can devolve into blubbering—which she doesn't even let herself do when she's alone, even when she can't take it anymore—but she stays where she is, wrapping her arms around his waist. More comfort than she's felt for what's felt like forever.
"He sounded like an amazing dad, an amazing man. I'm a bit sad I never got to meet him."
Regina lets out a wet chuckle. "I think he would have liked you."
"Really?" he pulls back to ask with a smile.
"Daddy had a rather mischievous sense of humour." She wipes away her tear tracks—luckily she's wearing waterproof mascara and that Emmett's t-shirt is black. "He liked making people who took themselves too seriously look like fools without them even noticing." They both smile at the thought. They start moving again, continuing to Mifflin Street in silence, Regina walking closer than before.
"I really am happy I skipped my detention."
"I'm sure all the pretty girls are saddened by all the attention you've been giving me since."
Emmett steps around in front of her, and Regina almost walks into his chest. She startles slightly at the quick movement, and he makes a note not to do that again. He often forgets how threatening his stature can be now he's not that skinny, weak kid.
"None as pretty as you," he says, smile gone, face completely serious.
She huffs, and the roll of her eyes doesn't quite feel as affectionate this time.
"How many have you said that to?" She smiles mockingly but looks down, avoiding his eyes.
He puts a finger under her chin and gently guides her to look at him. He gives her a smile, a real smile that met his eyes. And she stares, finally able to see behind his protective persona of a carefree slacker.
He has no idea what he's doing. She's only been in his life for a few days. He doesn't seem to have a working impulse control around this woman. He feels no need to hide and protect himself with her. It's a weird feeling. He's only ever felt it this completely with three other people. Two of them screwed him over when he most needed them, but the other is his brother in all but blood.
From what Emmett has learned, there are only two types of people in this world. Those you can trust and those you can't.
Emmett wants to flip that coin with Regina, not yet, maybe, but he wants to know what type of person she is.
"I have never met anyone as beautiful as you." His hand moves to cup her jaw and she doesn't step away. "Your smile is blinding when you let it be. Your wit is so sharp I'm sure it could cut me if I ever got on the wrong side of it. You're so smart and perceptive it feels like you seem to see right through my practiced, fake smile. And your eyes…" he trails off with a chuckle and a shake of the head, trying to find the right words. "Your eyes have this strength and determination I've never seen before."
They look at each other neither saying anything but neither moving.
A car door slams besides them.
"Regina!"
She jumps and Emmett drops his hand.
"What the fuck?" Daniel pushes Emmett away from his girlfriend.
Emmett raises his hands in surrender and willingly takes a few steps back; his face tight and annoyed. He doesn't want a fight; he's sure Regina wouldn't appreciate one.
"We're leaving." Daniel turns back to Regina, voice practically growling. "Get in the car."
"Not when you're this angry." Regina stands her ground.
"Fine, but we're still leaving." He grips her upper arm and tries to tug her away.
Emmett sees Regina's subtle wince and the grit of her teeth.
"Let her go," he demands. "You're hurting her."
Daniel releases his hold and looks at her somewhat apologetically. But his anger hasn't left him. His fists clench at his sides as he turns to Emmett.
"Don't come near my girlfriend, ever again." He forcefully jabs a pointed finger into Emmett's chest before leading Regina away, leaving his car awkwardly parked by the kerb.
Emmett watches them leave and lets out a deep sigh. Could I get David to give Daniel a parking ticket?
Emmett enters the loft on heavy feet. He looks up from closing the door and sees two fidgety foster parents. He remembers the 'talk' Mary Margaret mentioned and knows he's not going to be able to go sulk in his room alone.
"Hey, kid," David starts. "Could you sit for a bit? We need to ask you something."
He falls back onto the sofa and David and Mary Margaret take a seat on the coffee table in front of him. This was starting to feel really serious. He sat up straighter.
"We've been thinking about something for a while." Mary Margaret takes point, and Emmett's stomach drops. This is it, he thinks. He did it, he broke them; the best foster parents anyone could ever have. They don't want him anymore. He wonders what finally pushed them over the edge. Nothing came to mind. "After what you said last night… this morning, we think you're comfortable enough with us. We…" she trails off, looking at her husband.
"We want to adopt you… If you want us, that is." The smile David gives is both reassuring and nervous.
Emmett's mouth falls open.
"It's 100 % your choice."
"We want you to be our son, officially. We want this little one," David smiles and rubs his wife's belly, "To have you as a big brother."
Emmett stays silent, unable to form words. 'We want you,' ringing in his head.
"We know that you're almost 18-" Mary Margaret starts.
"And we've told you before that'll you'll be welcome in our home after you've 'age out of the system'. That still applies, even if you say no," David finishes.
It was impressive watching them rambling together; finishing each other's thoughts aloud. He wants to end their suffering, but he can't give them an answer, yet.
"Can I think about it?"
Emmett sighs as he closes his bedroom door behind him. He had just sat through an awkward dinner of his foster parents talking about their days to cover up the silence and unanswered question hanging over all of them.
He falls onto his bed and groans into his covers when his phone rings. He tugs it out of his pocket and smiles at the contact picture. He rolls onto his back and answers.
"Hey, Belle. I was actually just gonna call-"
"Emmett," Belle sniffles into the phone.
"Belle." He sits up. "What's wrong?"
"Can you come over, please?" she practically begs.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm on my way. I'll be there in 5 minutes."
"Thanks." She hangs up and Emmett stares at his phone for a while.
"What the fuck is going on today?"
AN: Sorry, not sorry :3
This was written and edited in about 5 hours, with multiple Facebook breaks. It's too late… early to care :P
6am shouldn't be a time that people are awake. It just shouldn't be a time that exists at all.
Your reviews are all awesome!