Emma flopped on her bed, shifting uncomfortably as her eyes were kept on the small digital clock on her bed stand. It was nearing midnight, with only ten minutes to spare. And midnight meant a new day. And that new day resulted in a new year.
And that new year was when Emma had decided to tell her parents of what she had hidden for so long. She had considered greatly what Regina had told her on Christmas night and finally concluded what she wanted to do.
Emma was reluctant to ever reveal this news to her parents, especially since she hadn't a clue how they would react.
That reason was exactly why she kept it to herself.
Mary Margaret and David didn't seem the type to judge her, though she couldn't be so sure. People tended to be something far different on the inside than they appeared on the outside. That had terrified Emma. She didn't want to ruin her perfect relationship with the two of them over something that seemed so stupid.
She closed her eyes momentarily before opening them, glancing at the glowing green numbers.
11:55 P.M.
She swallowed thickly. She had five minutes, even less now, to tell them. Emma had spent days thinking about how she was going to bring it up. She had spent nights, curled up in bed, thinking of the outcomes.
Would they be disgusted? Would they be happy for her? Would they just brush it off?
She didn't have to tell them. She knew it. She wasn't obligated and she could back out now if she wished. But if she backed out now, she would only wimp out in the future. They would never know unless they had ever caught her with a lover like Regina had been.
"Better sooner rather than later."
Regina had said, and she was right. If she were to tell them now, she wouldn't have to worry about any reactions they might have in the future when Emma would be too far into something to take it well.
They wouldn't know about Regina.
And their ignorance to her would be bliss since they would be unable to tear her away from Emma or guilt the blonde into leaving her.
Regina was safe. And that had made Emma safe. Well, for the most part anyways.
The teenager glanced up at the clock again, the thoughts in her mind swimming away as she sobered from them.
11:59 P.M.
"Emma?" Mary Margaret called from downstairs. "It's almost time. You going to join us?"
"Yeah!" She swallowed thickly and wiped her suddenly clammy palms on her pajama bottoms. Here she goes.
David turned his attention toward his daughter when she hopped down the stairs, wearing an uncomfortable smile on her face. "I didn't think you'd make it. We have about fifteen seconds from the new year."
"Oh, boy." Emma made her way to them, who were standing in the living room with their eyes glued to the television and the countdown on it.
"Five… Four… Three… Two… One! Happy New Year, everybody!" The announcer shouted through the television's speakers and Emma closed her eyes as her parents whooped.
"Time to break out the sparkling juice!" Mary Margaret chimed, heading towards the kitchen to pour the three of them a glass of the sparkling white grape juice.
David grinned and clapped a hand on Emma's back. "It's the new year."
"Feels the same to me." Emma mumbled as they joined her mother in the kitchen.
"Time for our New Year's Resolutions!" Mary Margaret chirped excitedly, handing the two of them the glass of sparkling juice.
Emma accepted her glass and took a sip, a gentle sigh slipping from her lips. Here were the resolutions that Mary Margaret and David seemed so keen to have. The years that she had been here, they had done them and normally hadn't fulfilled them by the year's end.
"I'll resolute to reducing the amount of bear claws I eat." David barked with laughter at his own words, patting his gut as his wife joined him with a gleeful giggle.
"But you won't." She murmured fondly, a twinkle in her eyes as she gazed at him.
"What's your resolution?" He turned on her, a wry smile on his lips. Emma grinned at the way they seemed to tease each other, nearly chuckling when Mary Margaret stuck her tongue out at him.
Those two were so in love. Most of the time it was nauseating to watch, but it was sweet at other times.
"What about you, Emma?" Mary Margaret turned to stare at the blonde and only then did she realize she had completely missed what her mother's resolution was.
Gulping, she gave her a shaky smile. She was in the spotlight now. Was she really going to tell them?
"I have a confession for the new year that I need to get off my chest." She found herself wheezing out, her heart thudding in her chest.
What was she doing?
She felt as if she were going to faint.
Her brain seemed to float away, and each movement was not her own. She was too far gone now. She needed to tell them.
They looked at her expectantly, David's brows rising.
"Oh," Mary Margaret hummed, her head tilted. "What is it, honey?"
"I-I…" Emma chewed on her lower lip. "I probably should have told you this a long time ago. Like… when I first got here."
"Emma…" David frowned now, noticing the way Emma had started to fidget in her spot. And fidget she did, tugging nervously at her fingers as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other, then back and forth again.
"If you don't want to tell us…"
"No, I do. I need to." Emma cleared her throat and dropped her arms to her sides, trying to gain new confidence.
Just say it.
"I like girls," she said, casting a worried look toward the two.
David seemed to nod slowly as Mary Margaret just stared at her.
"What do you mean?" She asked, setting her glass down. "It's not a secret, right? Your friends are girls."
David wrapped an arm around his wife's waist. "Mary Margaret…"
He knew what she meant.
Emma looked at him, then to her mother.
Was she playing dumb? Or was she denying it?
"I-I'm gay," Emma cleared up, bracing herself for the worst.
"What do you mean?" Mary Margaret repeated her question, this time her brows were furrowed. David's grip only tightened.
"Mary Margaret…" he whispered her name as if to tell her to come off it.
But she didn't.
"How come you hadn't told us this?"
"I just wasn't…"
"You weren't what?" Emma flinched when she heard Mary Margaret's voice rise. "Were you incapable of telling us something this important?"
"Honey, don't do this." David tried to calm his wife, giving her a squeeze, but the woman wouldn't have it. She pulled away from him, glaring in his direction.
"David. Don't you do that. Stay out of it."
"Look…" Emma muttered, holding her hands up. "I don't want to make you angry or anything."
"Oh, but you already have! You should have told me this, Emma."
"I would have… But I was scared to."
"What's scary is the influence it will be giving you."
"What do you mean?" Emma's eyebrows shot up to her hairline.
David just stood there with a sympathetic gaze.
"Why would you do this to me, Emma? You could just have a nice boy…" Mary Margaret crossed her arms over her chest, not moving from her spot.
That was a good thing.
Because the last time this happened the mother moved from her spot.
"It's all a simple mistake, right, Emma? You just haven't had the chance to find yourself a nice boy. I can help you, you know that?" Now she was smiling as if her plan would fix it all.
Emma stared at her, flabbergasted. Was she really saying this? Was she really going to try to shove a dick down her throat?
Because that thought terrified Emma and was one of the reasons she was quite gay.
"It's not like that, Mary Margaret." Emma licked her lips and drew in a breath "Look, I'm not sexually attracted to men. It's not that I can't get a boyfriend, I just don't want one."
"What about Killian?"
"I just went to the dance with him because he literally begged me."
"You led him on."
"Yes," she answered, even though it wasn't a question. "But I told him, and he's cool with it."
"That's not a nice thing to do, Emma." The pixie-haired woman huffed, quirking a brow at her daughter. "And it wasn't nice to keep this from me."
"I'm sorry. I was just… scared of how you'd react. It's happened before and it ended badly." Emma admitted, her head downcast. "I thought you were cool with the whole gay thing, like when I told you about that couple in Boston."
"That's them, Emma. This is you."
"So? What's the difference?" She snapped her head up.
Was there something defective about her? Was it a sin to be happy? To have a home? To have unconditional love from parents?
"You shouldn't subject yourself to something like that. Do you know what people will say about you? About us?"
"Why should you care? I thought you loved me?" Emma narrowed her eyes in disbelief. She looked at David who just stood there, gazing sadly at his wife.
"I do, Emma."
"Then why should you care who I like?" She asked softly.
"Because it's just not right." Mary Margaret argued. "Do you know what the others in this town will say? They'll look at us differently. They'll talk."
"They won't have to know."
"But they'll find out!"
"Oh, your poor reputation!" Emma mock lamented, throwing her arms in the air.
Was Mary Margaret conceded enough only to care about herself and her appearance to the public of Storybrooke that she didn't care how it affected Emma?
"Don't you talk back to me, Emma Swan! I'm concerned about you." Mary Margaret squawked, glowering at the blonde. She remained in her spot, unmoving.
Emma only rolled her eyes. "I'm sorry for being gay. Why don't you just send me back like a defective toy?"
"Maybe I will."
Those three words that left Mary Margaret's mouth felt like a sword stabbing Emma right through the heart. The tears welled in her eyes faster than anything.
"Mary Margaret!" David's voice was stern as he moved forward, but it wasn't to his wife. He made a move toward Emma, but the blonde jerked from his grasp.
"Leave me alone!" Her throat constricted as the words flew out of her mouth. She made her way to the stairs, soon finding solace on her bed.
Right now, what she wanted to do is get the hell out of this place and go seek out her girlfriend.
Emma picked her cellphone up, tears streaming down her face as a sob shook her. She was no longer numb to the pain that she had been so used to enduring. She was as fragile as she had been as a little girl and easily shattered. And currently, she was in a million pieces.
"Emma?" Regina's drowsy voice answered from the other side of the line, sending a shot of peace through Emma's body.
Though she still did not calm.
"G-Gina?" She cried into the phone, clutching it close against her ear as she rocked herself on the bed.
"My Gods, Emma, what happened? Are you alright? Where are you?"
"N-no…" she answered into the phone, choking down a sob. "I-I told them."
The line went silent for a moment before Regina finally answered. "I'm on my way."
Emma grunted something into the phone before hanging up.
This was why she loved that woman. She didn't question her. She was willing to pick her up at such a late hour of the night.
Sweet woman.
How could her mother not see something like this?
Emma wiped the tears from her eyes as she grabbed her duffle bag from the closet and began to pack important items into it. She wasn't sure how long she wanted to be gone from this place. Currently, she couldn't care to return and would happily live her life away from the Nolans.
She would just grab what was most important to her and leave the rest. She could always come back to get it when things have cooled down. Though, that thought wasn't the least bit pleasant.
Shaking those thoughts away, she focused her attention on packing the duffle bag before moving onto her backpack. When both were full of clothes and items, she set them by the stairs and moved to don her leather jacket and boots.
Then she took the jacket off, flinging it onto the bed before deciding to wear her favorite hooded sweatshirt instead.
The blonde paused, looking around the room to see if she forgot anything. Then it hit her. She was leaving. This would be the final family that would reject her for being Emma.
She shook the sudden heaviness that had grown in her heart and grabbed her bags to head down the stairs. She was immediately stopped by the two of them, their eyes focused intently on her.
"Emma…" Mary Margaret took a step towards her, but Emma quickly shook her head and darted away from her.
"No. You've done enough. You don't want me as part of this family." Saying those words brought fresh tears to her eyes. "And you're getting your wish."
"Don't do this, Emma. I-I didn't mean it." She whispered. "I'm sorry…"
"You already lost me, Mary Margaret. I'm sorry that it had to end this way." Emma avoided looking at her as she headed towards the door, ignoring the pleas from David.
"Emma, think about what you're doing. Don't walk out that door. Please. We need to discuss this."
But she wasn't hearing it as she opened the door.
"If you step out that door, Emma, don't plan on coming back." Her mother's words had finally ceased her, and she turned around.
"That's rich coming from you." She recoiled, shimmering eyes on the brunette who appeared to regret the very words that left her mouth. "And it's alright. I don't plan on it. Ever."
Without waiting for a reply, she stepped through the threshold and into the hallway. She could hear Mary Margaret's desperate apology behind her, but she ignored it and pulled the door shut.
Emma quickly made her way down the stairs and pulled the second door open. The cool night's breeze blew into the building, causing her to shiver. She was glad that Regina offered to pick her up. It was cold as hell, and she didn't feel like walking in it.
She sighed, standing in the doorway for a moment. Her eyes were on the black Benz parked in front of the building. She could see the snowflakes as they fell in front of the headlights, shimmering as they daintily floated in the air.
Drawing her attention away from the scenery outside, she twisted her body to look behind her. One last look because she was certain that she wouldn't be coming back. This was no longer a home of hers. It was just another to scratch off the list.
Sighing, she crossed over the threshold once again, her boot crunching on the snow underfoot. She could do this. She felt strong. So strong that she drew her other boot from the hallway until she was standing outside with the door's handle in her hand.
Then she released it.
And when the door clicked shut, she broke.
And when she broke, she sobbed, falling back against the door as her body shuddered.
She heard a car door but chose to ignore it as she covered her face with an arm.
"Emma, honey…" She heard the familiar voice call her name as warm arms wrapped tightly around her.
Emma turned into the older woman's arms and sobbed into her shoulder, her arms wrapping the best they could around Regina's petite frame.
"I've got you, sweetheart." Regina whispered into the air, pressing kisses to the top of her head. A soothing hand rubbed circles on her upper back as they rocked back and forth.
Emma could already feel herself calming as she inhaled her lover's spicy perfume. Her eyes remained squeezed shut as she clung to her jacket, fists balled into the material when she tried to catch her breath from the hiccups.
"I've got you…" Regina reassured again, gloved fingers brushing through blonde tangles. "I won't let you go. I'm here."
Emma wanted so badly to respond to her, but the words only caught in her throat and escaped as another sob into her shoulder.
"Shh… shh shh…" Regina hummed softly, pressing several kisses to Emma's forehead.
The blonde hiccupped and pulled slightly away from the brunette, minutes later after she had finally calmed. She stared at the older woman with large, puffy eyes and a nose that could resemble Rudolph's.
"Th-thank you…" She whispered, voice hoarse.
"Don't thank me, sweetheart." Regina cupped her rosy cheek, giving her a reassuring smile. "This is what I'm here for."
"We should go… I don't want to be around here anymore."
"Of course." Regina nodded, concern sharp in her eyes as she pulled from the blonde and made her way over to the still running Benz.
Emma followed her, opening the backseat door to shove her bags in before getting into the front passenger's seat. After she had settled and pulled her seat belt on, the teacher pulled away from the curb and started off toward her house.
"You brought quite a bit of luggage." Regina commented, her voice soft.
"Yeah," the blonde responded, giving her a sheepish smile. "I hope you don't mind."
"I don't." She kept her eyes on the road. It was icy out and Emma could feel the car skitter to the side when she had turned a corner.
"How long do you plan on staying?" Regina asked curiously, mocha eyes transfixed on the blonde now once they had safely got onto the street.
Emma didn't answer the question, instead gazing out the window beside her at the yards with Christmas decorations.
She didn't want to answer that question, because in truth, she didn't want to go back. Yes, perhaps after some time had passed, she would change her mind, but she didn't want to bother with it now. And answering Regina's question would give her only a specific time frame to stay, or so it had felt. She didn't want something definite right now.
But how if the teacher didn't want her residing at her house for that long of time?
Emma would have to rethink her options and crash somewhere. Like at Granny's Bed and Breakfast. Ruby could hook her up with a room there. She could even get a part-time job at the diner to pay for her board.
Closing her eyes, the blonde forced the thoughts away. She didn't want to think so quickly of her future right now. She wanted to live right now, right in this moment, and continue out the rest of this night with Regina.
She opened her eyes again, just in time to see a car pulling out of a driveway ahead of him. She tensed at the sight. Regina was going fast, and they didn't look like they were going to relent. Her pulse quickened.
"Regina?" She glanced towards the brunette who wore the same panicked expression, her foot slamming on the breaks.
Only they didn't slow down.
The Mercedes still slid across the icy road and straight toward the car that would surely be T-boned by them.
It was a silent scream that resonated in Emma's mind as her mouth formed an O when the brunette suddenly jerked the steering wheel to avoid the car, who had finally gained enough wit to pull back forward.
The cars barely missed before the Benz crashed into a large snow pile from the street cleaners. Both women gasped, Emma's heart feeling as if it had stopped when the car had.
The blonde was thrown forward, though the seat belt had luckily stopped her from flying into the window and left her with an uncomfortable pain on her chest bone.
"Shit, that was close…" she breathed, eyes wide as she fell back in her seat.
Emma's breath was heavy, matching Regina's, as she stared back to the car that they had hit. It was already driving down the road, its rear lights fading off in the snowy distance.
"Asshole," she muttered, turning back to peek at her girlfriend.
That's when it had hit her that the teacher hadn't said a thing about the accident. All she heard was the other woman's breathing, heavy in the suddenly thick air.
"Regina?" Emma whispered.
Regina was currently slumped in her spot, her head bowed with hair shielding her face from Emma's view. But then there was a soft voice, slightly muffled, saying, "Fuck, that hurt..."
The blonde could have wept when Regina finally moved with a hand attaching to her forehead. And she winced.
That's when she saw it; a nasty cut on her forehead, eliciting a steady stream of blood that matched the scarlet flow that fell from her nostrils. The fight with the steering wheel hadn't gone in the teacher's favor.
"Emma...?" Regina was staring at her; those big, beautiful chestnut eyes were open and focused on her. "How bad is it?"
"Gina!" The blonde squeaked, dropping her phone onto her lap to give the teacher a tight hug. She had flown across the seat and nearly settled herself into the older woman's lap. "Your face is covered in blood!"
"I'm fine, Emma…" Regina's arms, warm and comforting, slid around the blonde's petite waist. "I'm alright."
"Are you?" Emma pulled away and looked at the wound on her forehead, a finger moving to give it a gentle prod. Regina winced, hissing in a breath. "That cut looks bad."
"Mm, so I see." The teacher murmured, flipping the visor down to peek in the mirror to see that she had, in fact, had a cut there.
"It's really bad…" Emma shifted in her seat. She searched the car frantically, eventually opening the glove box to find a single napkin. With a sigh of relief, she licked the end of it and started to clean the drying blood from Regina's face and neck.
"What are you doing?" The brunette absently questioned; her brows furrowed as the blonde had continued with her ministration until she had cleaned the blood up to the wound. Then she stopped.
"I'm cleaning you up."
"We shouldn't do that here." Regina grabbed the blonde's wrist as she made a reach for the cut on her forehead. "Better lighting at home and medical supplies."
"Are you sure that you're able to drive? You really took a nasty crack on your noggin. And your nose is… well, it was bleeding. It could be broken." Emma tossed the soiled napkin onto the floor, earning a disapproving look from Regina.
"I am fine, Emma." She reassured. "Though, I'm not sure about my car…"
"We're in snow."
The teacher turned a glare on her that could melt the entire block's snow. She shrank back into her seat and buckled up once again.
"Put your seat belt on." She reminded Regina who had already set the car into reverse.
"Right…" She quickly clicked the seat belt into place and began to pull slowly away from the large bank of snow.
"Are we moving?"
"Slowly, yes."
"I'm sorry for making you come get me." Emma muttered as Regina continued to reverse, the car tires spinning relentlessly in the snow with no sign of further movement.
"You didn't make me." Regina sighed, pulled her foot off the gas and undid her seat belt.
"Yeah, but… I should have just walked."
"Emma, darling." The brunette turned and grabbed Emma's face into her hands. "Don't worry about it. Focus on getting your ass out of the car and helping me get this snow out of the way so we can go home."
"Sorry…" Emma mumbled sheepishly, staring doe-y eyed into Regina's warm gaze.
A soft curve lifted on the brunette's pink lips, gentle and adoring. She leaned forward, bringing the blonde's face closer to her own as she parted her lips and connected them with Emma's.
Her breath hitched at the contact, and she remained stiffened by surprise for only a moment before melting completely into the kiss, returning it.
Then Regina pulled away, gave her an impish smile, and chuckled. "Come on. I'd like to get home."
"Yeah…" Emma murmured breathlessly and tugged her seat belt off so she could get out. Her cheeks were flushed, and not just from the cold air that bit into her skin as soon as she exited the car.
She joined Regina at the front of the car and began to kick the snow surrounding the tires away with her feet. When the two thought it enough, they both entered the car again, buckled up, and tried to reverse from the spot.
It worked this time, and they were on the icy road again, Regina this time fully alert as she drove extra slow on the quiet streets. It was well past midnight, Emma was sure, and that was late in a small town. Normally everyone was locked up inside by nine or ten, leaving very few to roam the streets.
The blonde sighed and set her bags on the chaise lounge in Regina's room after the slow ride to the house.
Emma drank in the familiar surroundings, smiling when she had spotted her painting just above the armoire with the raggedy stuffed panda sitting on top.
"I put it up as promised." Regina's voice sounded from behind the blonde and she jumped in surprise, too occupied by thought to have heard the woman come up.
"I see. And with your little panda there."
"Indeed," she chuckled softly, wrapping her arms around Emma's waist. The blonde closed her eyes, letting her lover's sweet scent fill her senses. She leaned into her, hands drawing up to cover Regina's.
"Shouldn't you be resting?" She asked, turning slightly in the older woman's arms. "We still need to get your cut all fixed up. Come on." The blonde escaped Regina's grip, pale fingers slipping into olive ones as she led the chuckling woman to the bathroom.
Once there, she sat the toilet seat down and had Regina take a seat as she searched for the first-aid supplies.
"So, are you going to tell me what happened?" Regina asked, striking up a conversation as the blonde brought out a bottle of peroxide and a cotton ball.
Emma sighed, dabbing the little white fluff into the liquid before bringing it up to the cut on Regina's forehead, earning a wince and hiss of pain in response. "I told them."
"Blatantly?"
"Well, there's this thing that they had me do on New Year's instead of some resolution. They wanted me to give them at least one confession for the New Year, you know, a fresh start?" Emma hesitated as she gently dabbed the wound on her lover's forehead until the blood was mostly washed away to reveal an angry scar.
"I understand…" Regina's eyes darted to the bathroom counter where the blonde set to work with a bandage.
"Yeah, so I confessed that. I said that I liked girls, you know? But Mary Margaret had to act dumb and ask what I meant." She let out a sigh and turned to stick the bandage over Regina's cut, nearly covering a third of her forehead.
Emma frowned and cupped the brunette's cheek, the frown faltering when Regina had nuzzled her hand.
"What did they say?" She inquired, the mocha hues disappearing underneath naked eyelids.
Gods, did Regina look ever perfect without makeup?
Emma blinked and shook that thought away no matter how much it was true. "Well, after Mary Margaret asked that, I just blurted it out. Then she had asked it again."
"What about David?"
"He just stood there and said Mary Margaret's name, you know how someone does that when someone else is going a little too far or something? He didn't really say anything else besides that." Emma scoffed. He didn't even try to defend her.
Though, Emma wished he had. That might have made her want to stay.
Regina shook her head, pulling Emma down onto her lap. The blonde accepted the new position with a weary sigh and leaned against her, an arm looping around the older woman's waist.
"What did she say after that?" The brunette hesitantly asked.
"To sum it up, she wasn't happy and said that all I needed was to find a nice boy. She accused me of having these feelings towards women because of lack of dates, I'm pretty sure." The blonde scowled.
"Of course she did…" Regina sighed, her eyes closing.
"I didn't care that she said that, really. That wasn't what made me leave." Emma's voice wavered as she thought of the real reason she had left.
"What did she say, Emma?" Regina tightened her grip, forcing the blonde closer to her. Emma gratefully accepted the comfort and curled up slightly.
"It may sound silly saying it out loud but…" She sucked in a shaky breath, a single tear shedding from her eye. "'Maybe I will.'"
"What do you mean?"
"She said that when I told her that she should just send me back like a defective toy." Emma cracked.
"Why the hell would she say such a thing?" Regina hissed the words angrily, her brows furrowed together as she stared at the wall across from her with molten eyes. Emma nearly squeaked at the ferocity in her stare.
"I don't know…" Emma admitted, snuggling closer to her lover to get that look off her face. "And as I left, she didn't stop me, she just said if I walked through that door that I should plan on never coming back."
"I don't like this woman any longer." Regina scowled, her perfect, white teeth baring at the thought of the pixie-haired brunette.
"I trusted her." Emma said softly. "I grew attached to this place. To the Nolans. I promised myself not to do that because I would only end up hurt. But I reassured myself after the first year. They were a nice couple. I didn't think them capable of hurting me in any way, especially purposefully."
The brunette gazed at her through sad eyes and kissed her with tender lips.
Emma sighed blissfully, her fingers curling into Regina's pajama top.
"Gina," she whispered, eyes fluttering open to be greeted with mud.
"Yes?"
"Would you ever leave me?"
"Not if my life would depend on it."
Emma smiled at those words. She wanted so much to believe them, but people said crazy things when they were in love. They said crazy things when they were out of love.
But she decided to take those words to heart regardless. They made her feel better. They made her feel wanted.
"Hey, honey. I mean it." An olive hand cupped Emma's pale cheek as Regina met her gaze.
"I don't know if I can take you seriously." The blonde gave her an impish smile and Regina blinked.
"I really do mean it, Emma…"
"Yes. But we are also on the toilet, having this deep conversation."
And at that moment, she swore Regina was going to have a stroke. Emma could already see that vein in her forehead popping out, even as the bandage covered it.
Oh, snap. The wrath of Regina Mills was about to be bestowed upon her.
"Then why don't we get into bed?" She suggested coolly, her arms untangling from Emma.
The blonde nodded slightly and slipped off Regina's lap. She gave her a sheepish smile before hopping out of the bathroom, the older woman following behind her with a deep chuckle. Emma's heart fluttered at the rich, melodic sound behind her.
"Get in, Ms. Anti-Toilet-Talk." Regina hummed, passing her to climb onto the bed on the side she usually slept on – the left. The covers had already been pulled back and the bed mussed.
She must have been sleeping when Emma had called her. She did sound tired when she had answered.
"Lemme get comfy first." The blonde muttered softly as she pulled her sweatshirt over her head and tossed it onto her bags. Now she wasn't about to boil any longer. It was warm in the house wearing that heavy thing.
After pulling her boots and socks off, she joined Regina on the bed, flipping the covers back as well. Her back pressed against the headboard as a yawn sounded. She could lay down, she knew, because she would surely fall asleep.
She was emotionally exhausted, and a bit physically as well.
Her eyes glanced towards the bright numbers on the digital clock by Regina's bedside, the display reading 2:09 A.M.
"So, you really mean it, huh?" Emma asked, starting back up from where they left off.
"Of course, I do." The brunette responded as if the little intermission in their conversation hadn't happened. "I love you, Emma. I really do and I would be willing to do almost anything for you."
"Yeah…" Emma bit her lip, her head slightly downcast as she gazed at Regina. "I know how you feel. It's, like… It's really hard to explain it."
"That's love for you, my swan." The older woman pulled Emma toward her, and, without warning, the blonde fell on top of Regina's body. She giggled softly, wrapping her arm around Regina's waist.
"It drowns you in tears and sets your heart on fire." Regina smiled, her chin resting on top of soft, blonde locks as Emma kept her head resting on the teacher's breast.
"It's... nice." Emma agreed, shifting as she gave her a squeeze.
"Indeed," she chuckled. "Though we may not be able to comprehend it, we shouldn't question it. It's there. We feel it. We should enjoy it while we've got it."
"I want to feel like this forever." The blonde sighed, her eyes closing.
"I do, too," she heard that husky voice whisper just above her. A smile broke out on her face.
"Gina?"
"Mhm?"
"I've been thinking," she started, moving to face her lover. A warm smile greeted her, and adoring chestnut eyes sent her into a puddle. "What are we going to do after I graduate? What'll happen to us?"
"I would like to believe we would remain as we are." The brunette simply answered.
"Yes, but…" The blonde trailed off, closing her eyes. "I don't want to stay here… in Storybrooke. I mean, I do want to stay with you, but I want to go to college and-"
"I see what you mean." Regina hushed her, cupping her cheeks as she stared deeply into green pools. The answer was there in them; Emma could see it. "I will go where you go," she said, releasing the blonde's face, but not before giving her pale lips a peck.
"But what about your job here?" Emma frowned slightly.
"It's getting old," she whispered, fingering a piece of honeyed hair. "Most of the students dislike me. I am not a good enough teacher per them, and I might as well just move on."
"But you love teaching?"
"Yes, but… I'm not exactly appreciated here, and the students do not put in the effort that they should." Regina averted her gaze, but Emma could see the emotion flickering through those vulnerable eyes. "Besides, I'm sure they will have open jobs for teaching up in Boston. Perhaps I can land one at a college where the courses will be harder put. Maybe then will the students give an effort."
Emma perked up at those words. Regina getting a job in Boston? And a college one at that? Perhaps their relationship as teacher and student wouldn't be over.
That thought sent a pleasant shiver down her spine and straight to her core. It was intoxicating to have such a forbidden relationship. And it was taunting as hell when she was sitting in a desk as her girlfriend was pacing around the classroom in those tight pantsuit outfits or sexy pencil skirts.
Mm, she could get used to that.
"Would you really do that… for me?" Emma asked. Though, it was pleasant and comforting to find out that Regina was willing to go with her, she had suspected that it wouldn't be so easy.
"I have nothing for me here besides you, Emma." Regina left her gaze on Emma's face, the smile on her lips only widening. Emma couldn't help but to grin as well, the little butterflies in her belly fluttering in a rapid tattoo.
"Goddamn, I love you, Gina." The blonde sighed contentedly, clutching onto her lover's side.
"And I love you. Like I said, I would be willing to do almost anything for you. And if that means moving to Boston, then so be it." Regina ran her fingers through golden curls, earning a purr from Emma as she pressed into the hand with a happy smile.
"How will you buy or rent something?"
The thought had just occurred to Emma. Did she have enough money for that? Teaching jobs didn't really seem to pay much, and she had a house here already. The bills must be through the roof. Would she sell it?
"I have enough money in my account to rent a small apartment or house for a few years." She answered.
"Can't you sell this house?"
"No." She shook her head. "My mother owns it. It'll be a nice place to stay if we ever visit. You have friends here, correct?"
"I suppose you're right." Emma smiled. "The future sounds nice and less scary." She murmured after a few minutes of silence. She laid her head back on Regina's chest and just listened to her rhythmic heartbeat and each breath that she took.
The brunette responded quietly. It was then that the blonde had noticed the way her eyes drooped every few seconds, causing her to blink them rapidly before it happened again.
"You're tired," she teased softly, using a curled finger to caress her cheek. "We should sleep, Gina."
"I don't want to sleep right now." Regina mumbled sleepily, a smile reaching her tired eyes. A hand had found its way into Emma's hair once again. "I like laying here with you. It's peaceful and takes the world away."
"It also rids the fact that school is starting back up tomorrow. Well, technically speaking since it's the first, now." The blonde grumbled, glancing at the clock once again to catch note of the time.
3:15 A.M.
"Please, don't remind me." Regina moaned with displeasure, her head thumping against the headboard.
"You shouldn't do that." The blonde lifted an arm and brought the brunette's head back up, a lopsided smile on her lips. "You've already got it all shaken up."
"And I'm starting to feel the headache that should have come hours ago." The older woman groused, rubbing the bridge of her nose with a wince after realizing that it, too, had been damaged.
"Would you like to take something?"
"No," she simply muttered, dropping her hand back into Emma's hair as she began to absently stroke it.
The blonde hummed happily and closed her eyes, enjoying the sensations around her. The feel of Regina's fingers combing calmly through her hair. The sound of her heart thumping against her head. The gentle rise and fall of her chest with each breath. The scent of her spicy perfume and the sweet smell of her hair.
It was all so calming for Emma as she lay there for some time, just letting it all take over. She didn't know how long it had been as she lay there, gently stroking Regina's stomach long after the older woman had stopped combing her hair. That hand had slid to the small of her back now and rested there, warm and comforting.
Emma hummed sleepily. She could feel herself drift off. Her strokes slowing down. She was exhausted.
"Your belly rubbing is slowing, dear." Regina seemed to inform her. "Are you getting tired?"
"Yeah," the blonde simply answered, more consciously aware of her actions as she continued, her fingers tugging up the silk pajama top to expose Regina's smooth, tawny stomach. An absent smile crossed her lips as she ran her fingers over the immaculate skin.
"Hey, remember when we were talking about babies? And I asked if you ever wanted to get pregnant?"
"Indeed, I do, dear."
Emma must have been more tired than she thought as she found herself rambling off about that morning. She didn't know why she was speaking of this now, but the conversation seemed to intrigue them both.
"I bet you'd look adorable with a round belly." She commented, looking over at Regina from her new spot beside her. "Scratch that. I know you would."
"Oh, is that so?" A grin quirked on the older woman's lips.
"I would love to have babies with you some day." Emma found herself mumbling, her eyes growing droopy. "You know when I said I wanted to find the special woman for that? Yeah… I meant you, because… I really, really like you."
"A part of me was hoping you would say that." Regina's response surprised the blonde.
"Really?"
"Yes," was all she had said before falling silent, her cheeks darkening.
"I think that would be cool." Emma stretched slightly and yawned, sinking into the bed. "I think I'd like a son."
"A son?" Regina chuckled softly, turning her gaze on the blonde.
"Yeah. I think it would be fun to raise a messy little boy."
"Oh, what would I do with the two of you?" The older woman smirked. "You'd mess up my house and I'd be constantly running after you with a mop."
"Yeah, but it'd all be worth it in the end, right? We'd all be sitting on the couch, snuggling, as we watched a good Disney film." Emma gently prodded her girlfriend's side. "And it'd be our family. A loving family."
"I think we both deserve a good family." Regina nodded, a yawn slipping from her own lips.
"A family…" Emma whispered in the dark, a smile brighter than the sun itself on her face.
She had always wanted a family of her own. One that would be stable. One that she would be a part of. She would be able to love and be loved.
A family with Regina?
What was she thinking?
She was too hopeful, that's what.
Emma felt the older woman snuggle against her and soft lips pressing against her neck.
"Goodnight," a voice whispered to her.
A voice that would always send her heart soaring.
"Goodnight," she murmured back.
She could see this happening ten years from now. They would be lying in bed together, falling asleep in each other's loving arms as their son or daughter slept in the room next to them. Or slept with them, wiggling as they would struggle and snuggle between their mothers.
Was she setting herself for heartbreak by hoping for the future?
Emma could tell this was going to be a long, worrisome night. She wouldn't be able to sleep with those thoughts on her mind. She poked her head up, careful not to disturb Regina as she did so. The woman was already fast asleep, a gentle snore emanating from her.
Bless her little heart, Emma thought with a smile. That woman was precious, even as she slept. She had to keep the giggle in her throat as she gazed at the numbers on the digital clock.
5:45 A.M.
A long night just turned into a long morning.
"You have to get up, Emma. I'm not kidding." Regina was standing at the side of the bed, already dressed for the day, wearing one of her black skirts and a deep red blouse.
It was 7:45 in the morning and school was starting back up today. The alarm had sounded at seven, which was when Regina had gotten up and tried to wake the teenager up as well. When she had groaned, and flipped back over to fall back asleep, the older woman had reluctantly obliged to give her more time as she took a shower.
Then she came back out about fifteen minutes later to try and wake her up again.
Emma still hadn't budged by then, pleading for a few more minutes.
So, Regina walked off to finish with her daily preparations, drying her hair and putting her face on.
When she was finished another fifteen minutes later, Emma was still asleep, begging for another fifteen.
"Fine, then, I will make us some breakfast. You better be ready to get up by then." Regina had said before going downstairs to make breakfast for the two.
And now, here she was again, another fifteen minutes later.
"Just gimme another fifteen…" Emma slurred sleepily, tossing onto her side away from Regina.
"Don't make me get the cold water."
"I'll still sleep. You can't make me go to school." Emma remained unbothered as she began to snore, falling back asleep.
"Emma Swan!" Regina huffed and smacked the blonde's rear end. She squeaked and jerked her body forward, a hand moving to her bum to rub it.
"Kinky." She murmured and went back to her resting position, her breathing evening out once again.
"Goddammit, Emma. I need to get things prepared." The brunette huffed and climbed onto the bed. "If you won't get up, I will make you."
"Nothing in the world will get me up for school." Emma ignored the weight shift on the mattress and flopped onto her other side. Regina was getting onto the bed from her side. It was always best to face away.
Then she wouldn't feel too guilty.
It was a hand between her thighs that had her eyes bolt open. Her entire body went rigid as that hand teased her through thin cotton panties.
Oh, she was good.
She knew what Regina was doing and she wouldn't fall for it. No way in hell. Nope. Not a chance.
Emma remained as relaxed as she could, pretending not to enjoy the fingers rubbing her through cotton at an insatiable pace.
But then she couldn't help but to moan, and once she did, she knew she was screwed.
Fuck, she cursed internally, her hips rocking against the hand that pleasured her. She already lost her composure, might as well just let it take over her.
Then Regina stopped and pulled her hand away.
"Hey…" Emma craned her neck to be met with a devious smirk on red painted lips.
"If you promise to get up, I'll continue." She winked, the mischievous look on her face never faltering. "But you have to get up. School starts at 8:30. We have about a half hour."
"I-I promise." Emma breathed, her heart pounding rapidly against her chest.
"Mm, good girl." Regina grinned and moved to hover over the blonde, one hand on the opposite side of her as she balanced over Emma's face. She pressed a kiss to her cheek.
"I am your good girl." Emma purred, closing her eyes blissfully as she turned onto her back.
Regina was on her faster than she could utter her name, her legs straddling her hips as she wore a smirk. Her black skirt was bunched up around her waist, her blouse unbuttoned enough to flash her lacy black bra.
"You're looking especially sexy today." Emma smoothed her hands up the brunette's sides, rejoicing in the shiver that she earned.
"You always think I'm sexy. I could be wearing footed pajamas and bunny slippers and you'd still think I'm sexy."
"Because you're just all around sexy," the blonde growled, hands roaming over the silky fabric on her back before shifting toward the front, cupping the mounds on her chest.
Regina let out a delicious moan and arched into the touch, her hands finding purchase on Emma's creamy thighs. "So are you, my love."
Her eyes darkened, turning obsidian in color. Emma swallowed thickly as moisture pooled between her thighs, her lower belly burning with need. She thrusts her hips up, bumping into her lover's own needy heat who, in return, ground herself down against her with a soft moan.
"Please…" Emma gave Regina's breasts a squeeze, pressing her hips up against the brunette again.
"Only since we are limited on time…" The teacher gave her a wicked grin as she peeled the blonde's panties from her intimate flesh and tugged them off. She lifted herself up, pulling her own panties off before resting in her previous position, her intimate flesh meeting Emma's own.
"Have your way with me, Ms. Mills…" Emma grinned up at the woman who had gazed at her with lust laden eyes.
Her gaze was immediately torn away from her as she felt lithe fingers pressing against her clitoris, stroking it in rough, circular motions. The blonde moaned, her mind blanking as she rocked against Regina's hand, yearning for more contact.
She thrust her hips upward, groaning at the sensation of her lover's wetness against her hot skin. Regina let out a guttural moan, grinding herself into Emma as her fingers continued to work.
"Oh, Gods, Gina…" Emma breathed, the words after that dying in her throat when Regina had added more pressure to the sensitive nub, her strokes growing quicker.
"Touch me, Emma!" The older woman begged, her head thrown back in ecstasy as she rocked her hips against the blonde's body, a hand on her own breast.
Emma quickly obliged; the hand left on one of the brunette's breasts had moved the fabric of her bra aside. Her other hand went straight for Regina's center where she easily found the already swollen clit with her fingers and began to stroke in time with the teacher's pace.
The two of them were a moaning, groaning mass, rocking against each other as they both sought pleasure. Emma teased the brunette's hardened nipples with nimble fingers as the teacher moaned blissfully above her, her strokes growing quicker until she slid those fingers down and slid them knuckle-deep into the blonde.
"Regina!" Emma cried with surprise, her hips lifting thoughtfully as she moved lasciviously against the pumps. Her own movements were frantic, as if she were pleasuring herself to climax.
And it wasn't long before it paid off, for her at least. She felt herself stiffen, tingling entirely from the tips of her fingers to the tips of her toes as she rode out the waves of pleasure crashing over her. Regina hadn't relented, her hips rocking desperately against Emma's vigorously working fingers as she helped Emma ride out her orgasm, her fingers working at the little pink nub which had ultimately heightened her climax.
The blonde screamed her pleasure, her fingers digging into Regina's breast, painfully by the expression on her face. But that appeared to have been enough to topple the brunette over the edge.
"Emma!" She cried blissfully into the musky air, her rocking hips slowing to a stop when her entire body had tensed just as the blonde's had moments earlier.
The fingers that had once pleasured Emma had slowed, bringing the blonde down from her exhilarating high. Regina's body had shot off a few spasms before she had relaxed, her breathing ragged as sweat glistened on her forehead.
Emma held the teacher after they had removed their hands from each other. The two of them lay together, both trying to catch their breaths as their hearts thumped against their chests in the otherwise quiet room.
"Best morning sex ever…" Emma whispered, pressing a kiss to the top of the brunette's head, a hand absently rubbing her back.
"I must concur." Regina picked herself up, hovering over the blonde as she stared adoringly into her eyes. "My beautiful duckling."
"Oh… pft…" She blushed as the brunette stroked her cheek with gentle fingers.
The same fingers that had just brought her to one of the best climaxes in her life.
"Mm, I love you." Regina whispered, bending down to press a sweet kiss to Emma's lips.
The blonde eagerly returned it, fingers sliding through her lover's hair. "I love you, too."
They stayed like that for a few moments, staring into each other's eyes with sated smiles on their faces. It wasn't until Regina had glanced towards the clock did she panic and slid off the bed.
"You need to get ready. I need to fix myself up. And we need to eat." She plucked her panties from the ground and headed toward the bathroom as Emma collected herself. She sat in bed for a few moments longer, trying to grab the pieces to her scattered brain and put them back together.
Emma grinned widely to herself as she got up and quickly gathered her things to get ready. It wasn't until another ten minutes later were the two of them in the kitchen. It was twenty minutes past eight and they needed to get the hell out of there. They had ten minutes before school started and Emma still didn't have her schedule.
She supposed that it was lucky they had their homeroom first.
But she felt guilty for keeping Regina. She wouldn't doubt the teacher would have been out of here an hour ago. Instead, she had been caught up in trying to wake the sleeping woman and bribe her with sex.
"I'm sorry," Emma mumbled, stuffing the piece of peanut butter toast in her mouth as they exited the house.
"For what, dear?"
"For making you wait… For making you late." She gave her girlfriend a sheepish smile as they piled into the car, Emma's backpack on her lap.
"It's quite alright, dear. It was well worth it." Regina grinned widely. "I was coming down with a headache, but that cleared it right up."
"Good." Emma smirked and leaned over to place a chaste kiss on her lips. "Now, let's go or else we'll be late."
"That wouldn't be a good thing, considering I'm a teacher." Regina nodded and pulled out of the driveway, driving the few blocks to the school.
Once they had arrived, the two of them popped out of the car and headed toward the building.
"I'll see you later, honey. Do have a good day." Regina smiled as they passed the English hallway.
"Thanks! You too." Emma smiled, trying to keep herself from saying too much to the teacher.
With a sigh, she returned the grin that Regina had flashed to her and headed to Ms. Nova's room.
The blonde took her seat once she had arrived. There wasn't much time left until the bell rang. They really cut it close today, didn't they?
"Hey, Emma! There you are." Killian's voice immediately broke her attention away from her thoughts. She turned to look at the teenage boy, a smile on his lips.
"Hey," she greeted in return.
"Where the hell have you been?"
"Around."
"Around? What the hell's that supposed to mean?"
"I got here late." She rolled her eyes as he took the empty seat next to her.
Ms. Nova sauntered over, handing the blonde a piece of paper.
"How was your winter break, Emma?" She asked politely, a pleasant smile on her face.
Emma returned it. "It was pretty good. How was yours?"
"Wonderful!" She chirped and headed towards her desk with a smile that could beat the sun.
Something had certainly made her happy during the break.
Perhaps it was that Leroy she occasionally saw walking with Ms. Nova when they were about on the town.
Good for her. She got laid.
So did Emma. Several times.
"What do you have?"
"Why are you nosey?" Emma sneered and looked over her schedule.
"Just curious…" He pouted petulantly before whipping his own schedule out to set beside the blonde's.
Emma immediately compared them. She knew that he would have some of the same classes as she, no doubt. He always did.
"I have Art II first period." She grinned snidely, knowing that Killian wouldn't have an art class. He groaned negatively at that.
"What else?"
"I have English after that."
"With who?" He suddenly looked curious, though the paper was right in front of him.
"Mrs. Hurst this time," Emma answered, flinching when he gave a noise that almost resembled a happy squeak. She would have laughed, but she was exhausted.
"I have that, too. Second period, English with Mrs. Hurst." He pointed to his own schedule as if to prove a point. She looked at it and rolled her eyes.
She should have never let him near her when they did their schedules.
"Then I have Economics with Mr. Locksley."
"I have that." Killian smirked. "Third period."
"I'm sure Belle does, too." She lifted her gaze.
"Then I have lunch."
"Aw…" He groaned. "I have it fifth."
"Sucks." She grinned.
"And then I've got another P.E. class. Aerobics, this time."
"Aerobics? Sounds like it's for girls." Killian snorted and looked over his schedule, a flicker of disappointment on his face as he found to not have the same class as her.
Emma had already scanned over his schedule. They had Algebra II together again, but that also left half the day without him.
"I heard there was running, so I took it." She grinned, looking over her schedule again. "Then I have some introduction class to computers. I think it was just some filler, I don't know…"
"You should take Creative Writing II." He nodded, a grin on his face. No. It was a smirk.
"They… They really have that?" Emma looked at him, then to his schedule to see that he had, in fact, that class sixth period. And with Ms. Mills.
"I need to visit Mr. Hopper." She muttered.
"So you can have a class with your girlfriend?"
"Shut up, Killian." Emma turned a glare on him. "I've got a pocketknife somewhere. You remember what I said about your balls?"
The blood drained from his face at her words, and he nodded stiffly. "Sorry. I won't say anything."
"And you better not be checking her out or anything." Emma gave him a hard stare. "Because your balls will be in your eye sockets before you could say 'ow.'"
"Alright! Alright!" He raised his hands in the air as if to surrender. "I won't. You'll be in there, anyways, if you change your schedule."
"I'll only dream of it." The blonde sighed and stuffed the paper into her backpack. Green eyes glanced towards the clock. They didn't have much time left in homeroom. Two minutes about.
Emma pulled out her phone, bringing up the smiley faces that represented Regina.
Hey, Gina. When do you have lunch?
She hoped to gods that Regina had fourth period lunch as well.
What would she do for lunch if not?
The bell rang and she stood.
"See you second period." Killian smirked, walking out the door as she had.
"Yeah… See you."
She quickly made her way down the hallways until she had reached the art room, relieved to find that her friend was already there. She quickly occupied the seat next to hers.
"Please tell me you have fourth period lunch."
"No, I'm sorry?" Belle frowned at the greeting, a puzzled look on her face.
"Damn." Emma slumped against her seat, wanting suddenly to beat herself in the face with a large textbook.
"Does Ms. Mills not have lunch fourth?"
"I don't know." She shrugged, hand hovering over her pocket where her phone resided.
"Sorry, Em." Belle gave her a helpless look before setting her messenger bag on the table. She dug through it, soon retrieving a piece of paper – her schedule. "What classes do you have?"
"Art, English, Economics, Lunch, P.E., Intro to computers, and Algebra." Emma recited her schedule as she, too, had pulled it from her bag. "All in that order."
Belle peeked over at her friend's schedule and smiled. "I have Economics the same period you do." She smoothed her schedule down on the table and Emma looked over it.
She paused once she reached her sixth period class.
"You're taking the second creative writing, too?" Emma groaned with distress.
"What do you mean, 'too?'"
"Killian's taking it." Emma looked at her, frowning.
"I take it you want that class?"
"Yeah."
"Sounds like someone needs to visit Mr. Hopper." Belle quirked a brow at Emma's pained expression.
"I really do. I need to get this shit changed."
"Do it during lunch, then." Belle shrugged, slipping her schedule back into her bag as the class had started.
"Planning on it if I have nothing else to do." Emma sighed and did the same with her schedule. Was she ever hoping that Regina would come back with a positive message. She didn't want to not have lunch with her. That was their thing. She enjoyed talking with Regina during that hour and if that was going to be obliterated, what the hell was the point in coming to school?
Alright, that was a stupid question. There were plenty reasons why she should go to school, one including Regina kicking her ass. But it would be a depressing day with the knowledge of not being able to spend an hour with Regina, alone, in the middle of the day.
First period was over in a cinch and second was rearing up.
It was a boring 55 minutes of sitting there, staring at the screen as the teacher had played a slideshow of classroom etiquette. Emma was sure that she had got it down by now. After spending four years of hearing the same rules, she was sure she could sum them all up quite easily.
No cellphones. No food or drink, except water, most of the time. Do your work. Pay attention. Respect your teacher and peers. Have a pencil. Have paper.
Have this, don't do that. It was all the same and frankly it was annoying.
She could say she appreciated the classes that at least spiced it up by either jumping into something or filling out a personal survey. Sometimes they did little things to get to know one another.
It was at least more exciting than sitting in the room for 55 minutes, listening to a teacher drone on about missing their class and where to pick up the make-up work.
Yes, yes, Emma got it. Don't be tardy. Don't stick gum underneath the desks. Don't ram your foot up the teacher's ass nor punch them in the throat.
"This is so boring." Killian whispered beside her, halfway through the period.
"Hush!" Mrs. Hurst immediately quieted him. "I will send you to the office."
Oh, well, that was nice. She was one of those teachers that didn't allow the students to talk. Though, she could understand while they were going through rules and such, but still. Killian was right. It was boring as hell.
By the time the bell rang, Emma could have been sleeping on her feet. Her little wake-up bribe this morning had worn her out, miraculously. She figured she'd be walking on a cloud after that. But, apparently not and now she felt as if she'd run into something at any given point.
And now she had to climb stairs.
That should be illegal.
Emma huffed and reached the top of the stairs before moving towards the Economics classroom. It was nice; she had two of her friends in the class with her. Hopefully Mr. Locksley wouldn't be one of those teachers that would hush the hell out of them.
"And she made it!" Emma huffed at Killian. How on earth he had beat her here, she would never know. He was accompanied by Belle, who wore a smile as she giggled at his comment.
"I was here before everyone else." She patted the seat next to her. "I saved you a seat."
"Thanks." Emma sighed and slipped into the seat next to her friend. Hopefully there wasn't a seating chart in here. She wouldn't know how she'd go on without sitting next to her friend to rant.
"How was your second period?" Belle asked kindly, eyes on her friend.
"I had him. How do you think?" Emma jerked a thumb toward Killian who wore a charming smile.
"It was the most fantastic period ever?" Belle joked, deflating Killian's ego.
"Oh, definitely." Emma let the sarcasm just saturate her words.
The blonde sighed after a moment of giggling with the two of them, sitting back in her seat with a yawn. "I really wish this day would be over with."
"Me too." Belle nodded. "I really wish school wouldn't have started up so soon."
"Ditto." Killian commented beside them. "Why did they think it was a good idea to start it the day after New Year's? Are they stupid?"
"I believe they are." Emma nodded in agreement.
The bell rang before Killian could jeer his next comment and Mr. Locksley stood in the front of the room, a remote in hand.
"I would like to inform you that there is, indeed, a seating chart."
And then it slowly faded onto the screen, leaving the trio to sigh.
"You have got to be kidding me." Emma muttered under her breath.
"We need Ms. Mills to work with us, you know. No seating charts." Belle gave Emma a wink and she knew what that meant.
She chuckled. Regina probably wouldn't mind if she had insisted, they needn't a seating chart, or at least have the three of them next to each other if there was one.
She couldn't survive a class without a friend in it, no matter how annoying they might be.
"I'll see what I can do." Emma nudged her before standing to move to her new seat as a student came to claim the one she was currently in.
She huffed, walking across the room to her new seat at the front of the classroom.
She looked over the seating chart and was soon deflated. Belle was somewhere across the room and Killian away from the two of them. It was as if he knew or something.
"Dammit," she sighed and sat back in her desk. Another boring hour to stare at a screen full of rules.
The bell rang fifty minutes later, and Emma couldn't get out of there fast enough. She flew down the stairs and straight to the foyer so she could find a spot to stop and check her phone. It was fourth period. Lunchtime.
She hoped Regina had messaged her back. She hadn't exactly been paying attention to what was going on in her pants, though she should be more aware.
Slipping the phone out of her pocket, she checked to see that she did have a new message from her smiley faced sender.
I have it fifth, like last semester.
Oh, great. She was screwed, blued, and tattooed.
Heaving a heavy sigh, she marched herself off to the counselor's office. She might as well get her schedule changed, then, seeing as to how she didn't have anywhere else to go. Emma slowly made her way down the hallway until she had reached the office off to the side.
"Emma! What can I do for you?" Mr. Hopper had immediately greeted, popping from his office. He offered her a friendly smile and she returned it.
"I would like to change my schedule."
"Oh, alright. What seems to be the problem?"
"I want to drop a class for another." Emma shrugged her bag from her shoulder and looked through it until she found her schedule tucked between two notebooks.
"Why don't you come with me?" Mr. Hopper had kindly led her to his office, showing her the chair in front of his desk before he moved behind it. He tapped at his keyboard as she slid the schedule across the desk.
"I would like to change my sixth period, the introduction to computers. Can I switch it for Creative Writing II?" Emma nibbled on her lower lip, watching as he nodded slightly and typed some more.
It would be just her luck if the class was full.
"There seems to be a spot open." He smiled and Emma nearly cried.
"Can I have it?"
"Of course!"
At that moment, she wanted to stand up and dance like she hadn't danced before. She had turned lucky enough to get a damned spot in Regina's class. Hopefully it would be able to slide into her sixth period without screwing up her schedule, though she wouldn't mind a little screwed up schedule if that had meant changing her lunch.
"Alright, I reserved it for you." He smiled and turned to shuffle around with a few folders. Then he pulled out a pink slip of paper.
Emma stared at it.
"I need your parents' signature on this. It's a school policy."
Emma's heart sank. How on earth was she going to get that signed?
She sighed but nodded and accepted the paper. She folded it up with her schedule and slipped it back into her bag.
"How if that spot gets taken?"
"Like I had said, I reserved it for you, so I know not to give it away." He gave her a kind smile. Sometimes he was just too nice, and it screwed with the blonde's brain.
Emma nodded. "So, all I gotta do is get my mom to sign this?"
"That and fill out your request, though I already know what you want to do. Just to keep it on record, though." He nodded.
"Alright." Emma stood. "Thanks."
"Anytime, Emma. Have a good day!"
"You too." She called behind her as she floated back into the hallway. Unfortunately, that had only taken ten minutes. She still had a while fifty minutes to kill before fifth period started.
Emma pulled out a pair of headphones from her pocket and brought her phone out as well. She might as well sit out here in the foyer and wait until the bell rang.
There was nothing else to do but wait and think. Maybe she could practice forging her mother's signature. She knew what it looked like by now and, if she tried hard enough, she could practically replicate it.