Day 2 - Trope

Prompt from .com: Regina knows every Disney villain in existence/Regina runs a club for villains (and Ruby is technically invited as the Big bad Wolf)

She rapped on the door with bare knuckles, rocking back on her heels as she took in the cars spilling out of the driveway and onto the street. Well, at least she hadn't been stood up with a lie, she thought sarcastically.

The door opened and Regina stepped out onto the threshold, arms wrapped around her waist to stem the chill as she took in the brunette standing before her. "I didn't think you'd come," she said after a moment, her voice too even to be natural.

Ruby shrugged, shoulders rising and falling heavily beneath the well-worn fabric of her favorite red and black flannel. "You asked," she said, "And maybe I thought I deserved some kind of explanation,"

She flinched slightly, hurt flashing in dark eyes before her mask returned, transparent though it was. "Yes, well…" she cleared her throat, "You know about my monthly book club?"

Ruby scoffed because, really? Unbelievable. "I know of it, yeah," she said sarcastically. Because, no, she wasn't the most voracious reader in Storybrooke (that honor belonged to Belle, hands down) but she knew the different between Dickens and Dickenson and, damn it, they'd been dating publically for almost a year now and she still had yet to meet a single one of Regina's oh-so-secret book club friends. And it stung.

"Regina, why am I here?" she huffed, folding her arms across her chest when the raven-haired woman hesitated to reply. Alright, maybe she was being a little childish but, hey, who could blame her? At the very last possible minute her girlfriend had refused to spend Thanksgiving with her and her grandmother in favor of some stuffy old book club that she did literally every month and-

No, she wasn't going to get upset about it. Not anymore than she already was, anyway.

Instead of answering, Regina opened the door, gesturing Ruby inside.

She thought about leaving; she really did. Because, seriously, what was with the cloak and dagger routine? Subtle wasn't exactly her style. But, like it or not, Ruby was curious and she didn't want to be mad any longer than she had to be so, with an irritated sigh, she stomped past her and into the manor.

She'd barely cleared the foyer when her legs locked, jaw dropping at the sight before her. Right there, spread around the comfortably chic living room, sat the bulk of Storybrooke's 'evil' population.

Maleficent, fresh-faced despite her stint beneath the library and apparently not overly concerned with holding a grudge, was perched on the edge of Regina's favorite armchair, all but cackling at whatever it was her companion, a strangely ageless gray skinned girl with spiked hair the color of sapphires, had said. Beside her, a man Ruby didn't recognize, though his distinctive (and strangely theatric) black and purple garb reminded her of someone, spoke earnestly with Mother Gothel and another older woman (Oh gods, was that Madam Mim?!) about his adventures with 'friends from the other side'.

There were others too, of course. Some, like Scar and Rattigan, she recognized outright (courtesy of her cursed!self). Some, like the Lady-No-Longer Tremaine, she knew only by reputation. But there were many, many others whose identity she had no idea of and, for a reason she couldn't (or, perhaps, wouldn't) identify, she felt a flare of curiosity building in the pit of her stomach.

If she hadn't been so shocked, so curious, she might have worried. About the town, about herself, about Regina, falling into old habits. As it was though, she couldn't tear her eyes away. These were some of the most despicable people their old world had produced and yet here, they just seemed like…people. Regular people, living their lives, kicking back with their friends after another day/week/year of making ends meet. It was weird.

"It's not a book club," she finally said, "Is it?"

Regina shook her head. "It was, for a minute or so. But, well, finding a book we all enjoyed, that also wasn't related to one or the other of our stories, proved a challenge greater than we were willing to face,"

"So this is…"

"A villain's club,"

"…a villains club," she repeatedly dumbly, "And you do…what exactly?"

Regina lifted her shoulders in a small, elegant shrug. "Talk. Drink. Reminisce. Dinner too, of course. Potluck." She cleared her throat then, nerves showing themselves at last, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I just thought I should wait for the right time. Until you were…ready,"

"Ready for what?" she asked, attention arrested by the sight of a comely blonde, dressed all in red, arguing with a Jafar so obviously frightened she had to squint to recognize him.

"To join us," she said, "If you wanted,"

"To join…?" Ruby trailed off, distracted, only to whip around as her words hit her full force. She faced her raven-haired counterpart squarely, a million different emotions warring for control of her expression, "You think I'm a villain?" she asked and not even she was sure whether it was hurt, anger, or pride in her voice. She shuddered beneath the shame of it, but didn't lower her eyes.

For a long moment, Regina didn't speak.

When she finally did, her words were low, soothing, entreating even, but not leading. If Ruby wanted to stay, it would be her choice and, whatever it was, she wouldn't fault her for it. "I think you've done things that haunt you; that it's a part of you few people outside of this room understand,"

She wetted her lips and gestured around the room, "We've all been monsters but here we're companions, friends, just…"

"People," Ruby breathed, "Just people,"

Regina nodded, her expression hovering somewhere near relieved, and the sight of it made the she-wolf squirm. It had been a long time, or so it felt, since anyone had been so concerned with her opinion.

"You could have told me sooner," she began, reaching for Regina's hand and entwining their fingers, "I…I'd have understood how much you needed this," she said and she meant it. If anyone deserved a night free of judgment, it was the woman beside her.

"But would you have understood that you need it too?"

Ruby flinched and looked down, green eyes settling on the hardwood beneath their feet. "Probably not," she admitted. It was easy, too easy sometimes, to ignore the darker parts of herself. Having spent so much time as a bastion of Snow's house, she supposed she'd had enough practice. "But at least I wouldn't have been mad about you missing dinner,"

"I was a little angry myself; it was a last minute reschedule," she explained, "But I…I did want to spend the day with you," she said, "Other than Henry, you're the only person I want to spend the holidays with,"

The she-wolf grinned, "I wanna spend the holidays with you too," she said, taking another look around. And, if this was what it took, well…she could think of worse things. Ruby took a deep breath then, and, by way of their linked hands, tugged Regina closer, "So…introduce me?"