Regina awakes the next morning, her body riddled with unwanted cramps. As she sits up on the sofa, raising her arms above her head with a loud yawn and a much-needed stretch, movement on the floor catches her attention. As her eyes adjust to the light pouring through the living room windows, Regina stares at the lump on the floor curiously. She moves her face closer to the mysterious lump and notices the rising and falling of a person's chest. She, then, allows her eyes to drift upwards and takes note of the long blonde hair splayed across a pillow.
Emma.
She takes in the sight of the blonde's sleeping face and can't help but stare. When Emma is awake, she usually has this determined or cocky expression on her face, one that Regina has grown fond of over the last few weeks (which she'd never admit out loud to anyone, not even herself). But when she's asleep, her face is completely smoothed out and an innocent, almost angelic, expression takes over her face. Regina tries not to stare, but it's difficult not to. Without a doubt, Regina can admit that Emma is one of the most beautiful women she has ever laid eyes on. As she continues to stare at the blonde in, terribly veiled, adoration, a look of puzzlement makes its way onto her face. Why is Emma out in the living room, asleep on the floor? Why would she leave her comfortable bed to sleep on the hard, wooden, floor, right next to the sofa? Surely, Emma couldn't be out here to be nearer to her, could she? After the way, Regina had treated the other girl yesterday, she wouldn't have been surprised if the blonde had stopped acknowledging her existence, and she wouldn't blame her either. She was a total bitch and she was aware of it. She deserves to be ignored.
So the question pops up in her mind once again: Why is Emma out there? Regina takes her foot and nudges the blonde's side gently. That one physical gesture causes the blonde to start stirring in her sleep. Regina watches as the blonde's eyes flutter open, hazy green eyes locking onto her own. Emma's eyes widen once she remembers where she is, realizing that she's just been caught. She, quickly, tries to get up from her makeshift bed on the floor. Before she gets the chance to get up and walk back to their bedroom, wordlessly, Regina speaks up.
"What are you doing out here, Emma? Did you sleep out here?" Regina questions quietly. Emma releases a tired sigh and without offering a verbal answer, she smiles sheepishly at the brunette. The look of confusion etched on Regina's face is one of the cutest things Emma has ever seen, but of course, she won't say that out loud. She doesn't want to freak Regina out any more than she already has. "Why would you do that? To be closer to me?" Regina asks in a soft, nonjudgmental, tone. Emma eyes the girl curiously, no longer sensing the resentment or bad attitude that the other girl displayed during the last two days.
"I have trouble sleeping alone. Back at the castle, I used to sleep with stuffed animals and sometimes, my puppy, Dex." Emma tells her softly, a shy smile on her face.
"I help you fall asleep?" Regina asks in surprise. Emma shrugs nonchalantly.
"Yeah, pretty much."
"I don't know whether I should feel flattered or insulted that my presence puts you to sleep…"
"Flattered, definitely." Emma says with a smile. Regina eyes the blonde for a moment and hesitantly smiles back.
"Then I guess I'm flattered. Look, Emma…about yesterday and the day before…I'm sorry. I shouldn't have treated you the way that I did. You didn't deserve it. I just overreacted, I guess." Regina tells the blonde sincerely.
"Apology accepted."
"What? Just like that? You can't accept my apology so quickly! I treated you terribly! I made you feel worthless and unwanted, you shouldn't be so quick to forgive me. If I were you, I'd let me suffer for a bit." Regina says. Emma chuckles at the brunette and shakes her head in amusement.
"I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not like that." Regina looks at her in puzzlement.
"Why not?"
"Because that's not how I was raised. But enough about this. Go take your bath while I prepare breakfast."
"But I deserve it!"
"Maybe you do, but that doesn't mean I have to do it. Believe it or not, I look forward to the random conversations you and I have every day. Going without our playful banter for the last two days hasn't been easy for me. You're my only friend, Regina. The only person, other than Alexander and Archibald, that I have contact with. I would love it if you and I could move past our little tiff and move forward. Do you think you can do that?" Emma asks the girl with a pleading look on her face. Regina huffs and crosses her arms over her chest, a defeated expression on her face.
"Okay…"
"Good. Now move woman!" Emma says to Regina playfully, shooing her into the direction of their room. Regina takes the hint and walks into the bedroom, only to walk back out a few seconds later with clothes and a towel in hand. Emma gets up from her spot on the floor as Regina exits the cottage, making her way into the kitchen to make breakfast. As Emma replays the exchange she and Regina just had, in her head, a small smile graces her face. "Maybe things will be alright." She says to herself as she begins preparing breakfast for her and Regina.
"When you came back to the cottage the other day, you seemed upset. And I have a feeling that it wasn't just our predicament that got you so upset. Care to talk about it?" Emma asks Regina as they sit atop their horses, riding at a slow pace. Regina keeps her eyes forward, without sparing Emma a glance. She debates on whether or not she should tell Emma of her encounter with Daniel and the things that he said to her. His rejection of her, hurt her greatly, but for some odd reason, being on speaking terms with Emma again, has dulled that pain. But still, it hurts to get rejected when you're not used to it. Regina slowly turns to face Emma and offers her a hesitant smile.
"It may have had to do with Daniel. Whatever he and I had, is over." Regina tells the girl simply, choosing not to go into any further detail. Emma eyes the brunette for a moment, a look of sympathy and relief spread across her features.
"I'm sorry, Regina." Emma says to the girl in a half-hearted apology. Regina eyes the girl suspiciously, her brow quirked.
"You're not really sorry are you?" Regina asks in an unreadable tone. Before Emma gets the chance to answer, their conversation is interrupted by Archibald and Alexander.
"Alright, girls! We're here." Archibald announces once they reach the practice field for their sword lessons. Both girls, wordlessly, dismount from their horses, their swords and shields in hand. The guards lead them to the practice field, and stand in the middle of it, waiting for the girls to catch up. Once they do, Archibald and Alexander stare at them with mischievous smiles. "Today, instead of you practicing your sword fighting skills with one of us, you will be practicing with each other." The larger of the two men says.
Regina and Emma look at the two men in astonishment and then stare at each other in bewilderment.
"You can't be serious." Emma chokes out, not quite believing her ears. She doesn't want to lay a hand on Regina, even if it is just practice. During their private lessons, Emma never laid a hand on Regina. She just simply demonstrates what the brunette should do and watches as the brunette imitates her movements. As Emma's green eyes lock onto the brunette's brown eyes, she sees worry swirling in the girl's gaze.
"I'm afraid so, kid." Alexander says, the mischievous smile never leaving his face.
"What if I hurt her?" Emma asks, she'd never be able to forgive herself if she hurt Regina or was the cause for the other girl's pain. Regina scoffs at that statement, causing Emma to look at her in confusion.
"I can take care of myself, Miss White. You won't hurt me and if you do, I'll know it wasn't intentional." Regina says with a nonchalant shrug. Emma looks at the girl incredulously, not quite sure what to say to that.
"But—"
"No buts, Emma. You and Regina are going to practice with each other. It'll be good for you both, I'm sure." Archibald answers, cutting off Emma's impending excuses as to why she can't fight Regina. He knows why the blonde is so hesitant to fight the brunette, it's because she loves her. He hasn't seen such true love in the making since Snow White and Charming. He and Alexander figured it would be amusing to see the blonde being put up against her love, in a fight. He figures that this will make for interesting entertainment.
"Alright you two, get ready!" Alexander says to the two hesitant girls.
"I really don't think we should be doing this…" Emma says to Regina as they square off, circling each other in their fighting stance.
"But unfortunately, we have to. Don't go easy on me, Emma." Regina tells the blonde as she strikes, her sword slamming against the blonde's shield. Emma stares at the brunette in shock.
"Regina!"
"What? We're supposed to be practicing. You've been the one giving me extra training, Emma. Believe that you've taught me well enough to last in this sword fight with you. Okay?" Regina says to the girl in reassurance. Emma worries her bottom lip between her teeth and nods her head hesitantly, fixing her body so that she is now in the proper fighting stance. Regina smiles at the girl playfully and swings her sword towards Emma's torso, which the blonde easily blocks with her shield. In retaliation, the blonde thrusts her sword towards Regina uncovered legs, only to meet the brunette's sword, completely deflecting her attack. Regina smirks at the girl and moves out of the way, just in time to sidestep Emma's sword coming down towards her right shoulder. Emma looks at the girl with an impressed smile on her face before going in for another attack. Regina ducks and rolls, kicking Emma's legs from right under her. The blonde loses her balance, falling flat on her back on the grass. Regina places the tip of her sword on the blonde's abdomen, a triumphant smirk on her face.
"I believe that I've won this round." Regina says teasingly, a bright smile on her face. Emma stares up at the girl with a mixture of pride and embarrassment. Pride, because she's partly responsible for Regina's, now, amazing sword fighting skills, and embarrassment, because Regina beat her fair and square. Regina holds out a hand to Emma and Emma takes the offered hand, ignoring the electric shock that always seems to accompany the hand touching between the girls. As she stands on her feet, she bows down to Regina playfully.
"You have won fair and square, your highness. You've been taught well."
"Well, I had a good teacher." Regina says to Emma sweetly, a red tint making its way onto the blonde's cheeks at the compliment. "Shall we go fetch ourselves a refreshing glass of water?" Regina says with a playful smile, one that Emma easily reciprocates.
"We shall."
"And people say that sword fights can't bring two people together." Archibald says to Alexander as they watch the two girls make their way across the field towards the refreshment table.
"We did well today." Alexander says in agreement as a soft smile makes its way onto his face at the sight of the two smiling girls.
"Regina? What are you doing in here?" Emma asks the brunette curiously as the girl in question saunters into the bedroom, her pillow and blanket being carried in her arms. Regina, wordlessly, moves to her side of the bed, placing her pillow at the head, her body following suit as she lies down on her side, facing Emma's confused, yet hopeful, gaze.
"I'm sleeping in here tonight." Regina answers simply. Emma looks at the girl in surprise, not quite able to fight off the slow smile spreading across her face.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"But…what about the whole…kiss thing. I mean, we haven't actually talked about it and I don't want you to feel obligated to share the bed with me when you're not entirely comfortable. I could sleep on the couch if you'd like." Emma offers.
"No. Stay in here with me. You told me this morning that my presence helped you fall sleep and I'd rather not have either of us be subjected to sleeping on that wooden floor or uncomfortable couch again." The brunette says nonchalantly.
"But what about the kiss? Are we ever going to talk about it?" Emma asks nervously. Regina stares into those green eyes, seeing the fear and hopefulness in that gaze. She wants more than anything for that fear to disappear, mostly because she knows that she's the one that put it there in the first place. Regina places a comforting hand on the blonde's shoulder, staring at her earnestly.
"We will. Maybe not tonight, maybe not even tomorrow, but we will. I promise." The brunette says sincerely. Emma nods at that, accepting the answer.
"Okay."
"Okay, now go to sleep." Regina says to the blonde softly, turning her back to the girl only to feel the blonde's head rest against her back a few moments later.
As the blonde's breaths even out, Regina lets her mind wander to Daniel. She thinks about what he said to her two days ago, about learning to love Emma, and she's beginning to think that it's possible. It's scary to think of loving someone other than him, but when she looks back at her last two encounters with the man, she realizes that her love for him has become simply platonic. It would explain why she didn't feel that usual spark in their kiss or why her heart didn't race from his touch. Maybe she was just holding onto him because he's the safer option. He hasn't been her mortal enemy for the last 14 years of her life and he wasn't the one that her parents forced her to marry. She may not know what it is that she's feeling for Emma right now, but she knows that she's going to take the time to allow herself to figure it out.
If not for her sake, then for Emma's.