"Good morning, angel," Regina said softly, waking her lover from her slumber.

"Hey, Twatwaffle," the girl teased in response.

"Oh, my God. Really?" The brunette laughed lightly and kissed her lover's forehead, then added, "I thought we were past that."

"Nah," Emma told her. "You're still a twatwaffle. But you're my twatwaffle now."

There was a long moment of silence as Regina reached up and began to absently stroke the blonde's hair, until Emma asked, "Why were you so good to me, after I broke into your house? I mean, like… You didn't even like me. Why take me to the hospital? Why not call the cops?"

"I didn't know you, Emma, and honestly… I'd been judging you based on what other people said. And from what I'd seen of you in class. I never bothered to meet the real you. Anyway, I felt bad for hurting you. Regardless of who I thought you were, I didn't want to see you hurt just because you broke into my house. It's just stuff. I don't care about any of it."

"Oh."

"What? What is it?"

"I don't know," the blonde replied. "I guess I was just hoping you were gonna say that I was so sexy that you couldn't resist me."

"Emma! Can't you be serious for five minutes?"

With a sigh, the girl leaned back against the pillows and pushed a hand through her hair.

"I guess not," she finally muttered.

"Who you really are and who I thought you were are not the same person."

"Yeah, well… Maybe I am that person."

"What?"

Emma sighed again, this time shutting her eyes.

"I'm exactly who you thought I was."

"You are not!"

"I'm a hood rat."

"Emma! You're not a hood rat!"

"I'm getting held back in high school because I don't do my work. I break into people's houses. I steal shit. The only thing I don't do is drugs."

"That's behind you now. You don't have to-"

"I want to."

"But… Em…"

"I'm happy with you, Regina, but… I need that rush again."

"No, you don't! Emma, please…"

With a heavy sigh, Emma rubbed her eyes, then turned to look out of the bedroom window.

"Emma."

"Alright! I won't. Jesus, Regina. Don't be so anal."

"Are you kidding me right now? I don't want you to rob people, so you're calling me anal?"

"Wait. Regina, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I just… I just meant…"

"Don't you have to be at work?" the brunette snapped, scowling in her lover's direction.

"Uh… Yeah… I mean, not for another two hours, but… I'll go now. I get it. I'm sorry."

When Emma stood up and began to gather her clothes, Regina walked over to her and put her hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Hey. Don't leave without saying goodbye, okay?"

"But you-"

"I might be upset with you, but it doesn't mean I don't care about you."

"Wow. That sounds awfully platonic."

"Emma, stop it. You know what I meant."

"No. Actually, I don't. What did you mean?"

"Come on, Em. Don't."

"Don't what?"

"Look, we shouldn't be fighting. We're…"

"We're what?"

"We're a team, right?"

Emma paused.

"Well… Yeah…"

"Then just hug me. You don't have to go. I'm sorry I snapped at you."

Sighing again, the blonde wrapped her arms around the shorter girl and held her close, saying, "I'm sorry too. I was being a jerk, and I didn't mean it. It's just hard for me to… I don't know… Behave, I guess. I'm so used to getting into trouble and shit that it's difficult to stay on the straight and narrow, you know?"

Regina nodded and looked up into her lover's eyes, tucking a few stray strands of hair behind her ears.

"Let's go downstairs and have breakfast together, okay?"

When Emma agreed, the brunette took her hand and led her downstairs into the kitchen.

"Hey, baby," Regina greeted her lover, when the girl walked through the door that evening. "How was work?"

"Ugh," the blonde sighed, wrapping her arms around the smaller girl's waist and squeezing her gently. "So glad to see you."

"That bad, huh?"

"Yeah. The boss is really getting on my nerves."

"I'm sorry, love. I wish I could help."

"It's okay. Staying busy is good for me. It's important. Working hard is part of who I am."

Suddenly, Regina's face twisted into one of confusion as she searched her lover's eyes for answers to questions she couldn't ask.

"What?" Emma pressed, looking just as confused.

"I just don't get you. You work so hard, yet you want to stay in trouble."

"It keeps me on my toes, you know? Gets the adrenaline running."

"We're going white water rafting next weekend, and you're coming with us. We already decided."

"Uh… sorry?"

"You heard me. Me. You. Mom. Dad."

"What?"

"White. Water. Rafting."

"I don't want to-"

"Well, that's too bad, because you're going. I want you to see how fun it is. Besides, it's family bonding time, and I want you to be there for that."

"Alright, fine. If you really insist on making me-"

"I insist," the brunette said with a grin, pressing her lips to the taller girl's. After pulling away and standing in silence for a few moments, Regina added, "I told my parents what happened. They said you can stay here as long as you want."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously. They love you, Emma."

"They wouldn't if they knew that I-"

"They know the real you, just like I do. You're not fake with them. You're polite and considerate, and they appreciate that immensely. I've never had anyone like you in my life before. They couldn't be happier with my choice of a partner, and neither could I. I'm…"

After a moment of hesitation, Emma urged her, "You…?"

"I'm proud of you, Em."

The blonde's lips parted as she stared at the girl in disbelief.

"What?" Regina asked anxiously.

"No one's ever said that to me before."

"Well, it's true. I'm very proud to be with such a lovely, hardworking young woman."

"Aww, c'mon," Emma protested as she blushed. "You sound like a gushing grandma, for Chrissakes."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever, punk."

Regina pushed on the girl's shoulder, causing her to laugh as she stumbled backwards.

"Hey, punk. Knock it off before I give you the chair!"

"I'd like to see you try that one."

When Emma reached for the nearby chair, obviously joking, Regina made a swift move forward and grabbed Emma's wrist, twisting it behind her back and pressing on the space between her shoulders until Emma was bent over the desk.

"Holy shit!" the blonde gasped. "Where the hell did you learn that?"

"Dad taught me," the girl said with a triumphant grin. "I'm sort of rubbish at it, but you weren't expecting it, so it worked out okay."

"Alright, alright. Ah! Shit, man. That hurts! Let go already!"

Laughing brightly, Regina released her lover and allowed her to stand up straight.

"Jesus Christ."

"You're alright. Don't be a baby."

But Emma rubbed her wrist and forced herself to scowl, rather than let out the laughter that was bubbling in her throat.

"Hey… Seriously, though… You okay?"

"Oh, yeah. I'm fine. You just sprained my wrist. No big deal."

"Emma!"

"Ha. C'mon, babe. I'm only playing. I'm okay. That did hurt through. But…"

"But?"

"I gotta be honest…"

"Okay…"

"I dig a girl who can bust a move like that."

With a wink, Emma began to step towards her lover, her eyes flashing.

"Oh, no you don't," Regina scolded her, pressing her hand flat against Emma's collarbone to stop her from advancing. "You're-"

"Come on, baby… Don't you wanna kiss me?"

The brunette wanted to shove the girl away, to continue to tease her, but when Emma flashed a lustful smile, she found her hand dropping to her side and her lips parting as she stared.

"Well?" Emma pressed. "Don't you?"

Regina uttered a breathy, "Yes," and allowed the blonde's hands to rest on her hips.

When their lips connected, the girl felt her knees go weak, and she nearly stumbled forward, and probably would have, had Emma not pulled her tightly into her arms.

"Emma," the brunette finally sighed, after pulling away reluctantly. "I missed you."

"I missed you too, babe. I always do. As soon as I leave, I can't wait to see you again."

"You're so sweet, Emma. What would I do without you?"

"You'd have a lot more free time," the girl laughed, kissing her lover's forehead.

"Very funny." Regina rolled her eyes and walked over to the doorway of her bedroom, saying, "Come on. Let's go watch Animal Planet."

It didn't take long for the two of them to fall asleep on the couch, leaning on each other. When they finally woke up again, it was to the sound of Regina's parents opening the front door around seven in the evening.

"Hey," Regina said quickly, scrambling to her feet as embarrassment washed over her, making her neck and cheeks red with warmth.

Her mother laughed and walked over, putting her hand on her daughter's shoulder.

"Relax, sweetheart. You're allowed to get comfortable. Your father and I were young lovers once too, you know. It's only natural to-"

"Mom!" the girl gasped. "We were only sleeping!"

"Well, if you were-"

"ANYWAY. How was your day?"

Desperately, Regina looked to her father to interject and ease the awkward moment, but her mother's smile didn't fade.

"Our days were fine, dear. What about yours? Did you two do anything fun, or did you silly girls simply nap all afternoon?"

"I, um… I was really tired after work," Emma cut in, standing beside her lover. "I didn't really mean to fall asleep. It just sort of happened."

"I imagine you were. Hopefully you feel better now. We're going to go ahead and make you ladies dinner."

"Mom, you really don't have to-" Regina tried to protest, but was quickly cut off.

"It's fine, dear. We like taking care of you two."

"Thank you, Mrs. Mills," the blonde offered with a gentle smile.

"You are very welcome. Both of you. Now go do something fun, and don't fall asleep again, or you won't be able to sleep tonight when it's bedtime!"

They both laughed at this and hurried up the stairs into Regina's bedroom.

"Sit in the fort with me?" Regina asked, positioning herself on the floor in front of the fort's entrance.

Emma nodded and followed the girl inside, then sat with her back against the wall. At first, Regina sat down beside her, but when her lover looked over at her with a smile, she repositioned herself so that she was sitting on the girl's lap, causing Emma to blush slightly as she felt the pressure of the brunette's back against her chest.

"Oh, yeah. Go ahead. Just get comfortable there. I'm just…. you know. Your friendly neighborhood chair," the blonde teased.

"Okay. I will."

With a grin, Regina grabbed the closest book she could reach, which was sitting on the floor beside them, and pushed it into Emma's hands.

"Read to me," she pleaded softly, squeezing the girl's forearm.

"Alright."

After flicking on the small nightlight they had in the makeshift tent, which was just enough light to see, she began to read. This continued until Regina's head fell back against the girl's shoulder, causing Emma to slowly trail off and go silent. Before either of them spoke again, the brunette pulled the book away from her and set it back on the floor, then took Emma's hands and placed them over her abdomen. When her lover didn't move, she pressed on the backs of her hands until finally, Emma began to slowly touch her stomach and sides. Regina let out a contented sigh and turned her head to slowly kiss the side of the blonde's neck.

"Ah… Hey… Don't do that…" Emma protested softly, but when she started to pull her hands away, her lover took them gently and slid them just slightly beneath the hem of her shirt.

"Relax," she whispered. "It's okay."

Heart racing – she could feel it slamming against her ribcage, trying to burst out of its prison – Emma allowed her thumbs to slowly rub small circles over the girl's smooth skin.

"I like that," Regina told her. "It's very…"

"Relaxing?"

"I was going to say 'arousing,' but I guess that works too."

Emma swallowed hard, feeling all of her muscles twitch.

"Does that bother you?" the brunette asked slowly, starting to sit up as she turned her head to look into her lover's eyes.

"N-No… I just…"

"You don't have to be scared to turn me on."

"What are you talking about?"

"I think you're all talk and no bite, darling. You act all flirty and lustful, but when it comes down to being intimate, you get scared."

"Regina, I…"

"Girls!" the brunette's mother called up the stairs, just in time to interrupt them. "Dinner time!"

With a sigh, Regina climbed off of the girl's lap and left the tent, heading down the stairs without waiting for Emma to follow her.

"Tomorrow, I'm going apartment hunting," Emma sighed as she made herself comfortable and pressed her lover into her side. "I feel horrible imposing on your parents like this."

"You really don't have to do that. You're not im-"

"I already made my decision, Regina. I told you. I'm not going to keep-"

"Emma, come on. Why are you so scared to just be with me?"

"I'm not scared to be with you. I'm just… I want… I need independence, you know?"

With a reluctant nod of her head, Regina rolled onto her side, away from her lover, and rubbed her eyes.

"Gina, come on. Don't do that. I just-"

But when Emma touched the girl's side, the brunette quickly shoved her hand away.

"I get it. It's fine."

Sighing again, Emma remained on her back and shut her eyes.

"Well?" Regina asked, as soon as Emma walked through the front door the next evening. "How'd it go?"

"It went great, actually. I found an awesome place right near work, not too far from here either. I told the guy I'd send in my application tomorrow."

"Wait, what? What about… I mean… I thought…"

"What?"

"I just… I figured you'd want to show me before you… you know… made that kind of… um… decision…"

"Whoa. Regina. This isn't about you. This is about me. I have to do this by myself."

"Why, Emma?"

"Because I have to!"

"You don't have to do anything by yourself. I'm here for you, and I-"

"Look, just drop it, okay? You can swing by with me tomorrow when I drop off the app if you want. I want you to see it. I do. I just needed to make the choice on my own."

"Yeah. Okay."

"Well. You're all moved in. How do you feel?"

"Great, actually. I mean, I may have no furniture except a busted up old spring mattress, but it feels great to have a place of my own."

Regina nodded her head and looked around.

"It's a nice place, Emma. You picked a good one."

"And it was a good deal, too! Nothing's broken. Not a bad neighborhood. Just a little old and drafty is all. Hopefully, I'll be able to save up and get some furniture in here soon so you can actually come over and hang out here."

"Why wouldn't I hang out here now?"

"Are you kidding? There's nowhere to sit. There's no food in the fridge. It's-"

"Emma. I want to be wherever you are. I don't care if you have a nice couch or a kitchen table."

"Look, I should walk you home. It's getting late."

"Em…"

"What?"

"Please don't make me leave."

"Regina, this place is a mess right now. At least let me-"

"Let me stay with you."

With a sigh, Emma nodded her head and took her lover's hand, sitting on the mattress and tugging the girl down onto her lap. When she flopped over and pulled the smaller girl with her, Regina rolled and straddled the blonde's hips.

"Regina," Emma laughed, holding the girl's hips. "What are you doing?"

"Pinned ya!" the brunette cried, holding Emma's shoulders down against the mattress.

"Oh, no you don't!"

With that, Emma flipped them until the was the one pinning Regina down, but the girl quickly brought her knee up between her lover's legs, causing friction there that shocked the blonde so much that she froze, earning a grin from the brunette.

"Regina…" she breathed, looking serious.

"Come on, Em. I was just playing."

"It's not funny. That felt…"

"Good?"

"Well… Yes, but…"

"Why won't you just let me make you feel good?"

"Regina."

Staring up at her lover with intensity burning in her eyes, Regina slowly reached her hand between the blonde's legs and-

"Regina!"

"Em. Baby, come here."

Shaking her head vigorously, Emma pulled away.

"Not here. Not like this. Not on a busted up old mattress on the floor."

"Emma, why?"

"Because! I care about you. I want your first time to be perfect, and I-"

"Kiss me."

"Regina."

"Kiss me."

"I'm-"

"Shut. Up. And. Kiss me."

Unable to control the emotions that threatened to burst through her, Emma crashed their lips together, with passion at first, then slowed herself until she was gently sucking on her lover's tongue. When the brunette finally pulled away, Emma's heart sputtered.

"Em…"

"Yeah, baby?"

"I… I need to tell you something. And I don't want you to freak out, okay?"

"Okay…"

"Promise you won't freak out."

"I won't freak out."

"Promise."

"I promise! Just tell me!"

"I… I love you, Em…"

The blonde stared for a several silent moments, then slowly removed herself from pinning her lover to the mattress and rolled onto her side.

"I… I'm…" she finally started, but the rest of the words fell flat and disappeared as she dropped her gaze.

After a long while, Regina breathed, "Oh, my God…" her eyes watering as she realized that Emma wasn't going to respond. "Fuck."

Then, Regina was scrambling to her feet, and before Emma could reach for her hand to pull her back down, she was grabbing her jacket off the floor beside the mattress and making her way to the door.

"Regina, wait!" Emma finally cried, forcing the words out of her throat, even though they felt sticky and hot as they passed her lips.

But Regina was already outside, slamming the door behind her as she started to sob, feeling embarrassed and overwhelmed.