Emma had no idea how a friendly game of 'Never Have I Ever' with Regina, Graham, Ruby and the new guy had turned into this. The group had grown by several people: Mary Margaret sans James, who was apparently in the basement playing foosball with Sean; James's twin David and his girlfriend Kathryn; Eric, whom Emma knew from the S part of the GSA; and his girlfriend, a girl with gorgeous red hair that Emma thought was called Ariel.
Eric had brought a tequila bottle, saying that there was no way he was playing this game unless it was done properly, and Emma prayed that the questions would be wild enough that she wouldn't need to drink too much. She had a feeling that the shots that Ruby had given her might already be too much.
"So, who's going first?" Peter asked. "I'm new, so I shouldn't have to start."
"Chicken," Ruby teased. "I'll go first."
She poured tequila in all of the shot glasses before saying, "Never have I ever had sex in the back of a car."
Mary Margaret took a shot, as did Eric but not Ariel, and the rest just smiled.
"Never have I ever had more than one sexual partner," David said and smiled at Kathryn who gave him a short sweet kiss. Mary Margaret, Eric and Graham drank. And Emma couldn't help but smile at the fact that Regina didn't.
"Never have I ever had a sexual fantasy about a friend," Ruby said.
Goddamn it. Emma's mind went in overdrive. Of course she had; how could she not have, with Regina being so damn… Regina all the time? She reached for her shot glass and swallowed the whole thing because why the heck not, while trying her best not to look at Regina. Instead her eyes found Ruby who was smirking at her from across the group. Sometimes Emma really wanted to hit her best friend.
"Never have I ever been caught masturbating," Emma offered, and shot Ruby a look that pretty much screamed, 'payback is a bitch'.
Ruby groaned, took her shot, then looked straight at Emma and said, "I hate you so much right now."
"Well, maybe next time you'll remember to lock your bedroom door when doing such filthy activities," Emma snarked back, causing Graham to burst out laughing.
"Really, Rubes?" he turned to her and asked.
"What? A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do." She smiled innocently, and then winked at Peter who proceeded to choke on his own drink.
"Careful, Red, or you'll kill him before you can land him," Emma said, and smirked at both of them.
"Oh, trust me. I have every intention of keeping him alive." Ruby said, and leaned over to kiss Peter's cheek.
"You have no choice but ask her on a date now, Peter," Graham said, and punched his friend playfully on the shoulder.
"Good thing I already planned to then." He smiled at Ruby. "I just planned on making it more awesome than this," he added and shot Graham a look.
"Sorry, mate," Graham said, and shrugged.
"Never have I ever had sex with my best friend," Mary Margaret said; Emma looked at Ruby, and in unison they said "Eww no!" and laughed. However, Emma did notice that the two people on the left of Ruby did drink after sharing a somewhat awkward smile. Emma wasn't sure if she was sad or slightly jealous that Regina and Graham had slept together. Probably both. It wasn't as if she had hopes – well, realistic hopes – about sleeping with Regina. However, there was something about the fact that Graham had that upset her. It's not like she didn't know that something had happened, she just had hoped it hadn't been that.
No one else had any ideas, so Mary Margaret went again. "Never have I ever kissed someone of the same sex," she said, and Emma shot her a look that said "I hate you" before emptying her shot glass.
Emma noticed that Regina shot her a side glance before taking her own shot, and just smiled. She noted that almost all of the other people around the table also took a shot with the exception of her sister and Ruby.
"Never have I ever lied to my best friend…" Ariel said, and Emma cursed herself. She could not drink and let Ruby believe she had never lied to her. But she had, several times, about the kiss. So she decided to say to hell with it, and downed her shot. Then she shot Ruby an apologetic look. But she was left with the feeling she would be paying for that later.
"You have pretty eyes," Emma heard someone say behind her.
"What?" she answered, turning around to stand face to face with Fiona Moreno, previously one half of Fiona and Katie.
"I said you have pretty eyes," Fiona repeated. "Not to take anything else away from you, I mean. You're gorgeous."
"Thanks..." Emma nervously answered. "Are you flirting with me?"
"Depends."
"On what?"
"If you're interested." Fiona winked. "Are you?"
Was she? Emma wasn't sure. Fiona was gorgeous; her dark hair fell in perfect curls, and her wardrobe showed that she had money. And she was gay. Very gay, from all she had heard about her, and Emma couldn't deny that it was nice to get attention for once.
"Maybe. It depends," Emma answered, safe and but just a little flirty. Flirting was something Emma had always been pretty good at but she had never tested her skills on someone with compatible sexualities before.
"Really? On what?"
"I know who you are, Fiona Moreno, and everyone knows how you and Katie McAdams work. And I'm not interested in being someone's pit stop if you and Katie are just getting back together tomorrow," Emma answered, sounding far more adult than she felt right now.
Fiona shot her a look that said 'Really?' in that somewhat obnoxious way, but Emma didn't back down. "Katie and I are over," Fiona finally said. "For real this time. No going back."
"You are?" Emma asked, and the skepticism in her voice was obvious.
"Yeah. I don't really want to talk about it, but it's over. I think we both wanted something more than we could give each other, and it looks like she found it somewhere else…" Fiona's voice trailed off, and Emma suddenly felt guilty for acting the way she did. But before she had the chance to apologize, Ruby popped up and dragged her away.
"What do you think you are doing?" Ruby asked her.
"Flirting, or at least I was trying to until someone just dragged me away." Emma answered, slightly annoyed about her best friend's interruption.
"With Fiona Moreno? Are you insane?"
"Why? She's single, I'm single. She's gay, I'm gay. What's the problem?"
"She is Fiona Moreno. Unless your name is Katie McAdams, she will use you then dispose of you pretty quickly."
"She and Katie are over though, and who says I want something permanent anyway? I just want something, Ruby. I'm sick of being alone."
"Emma…" Ruby sighed before hugging her friend. "You are not alone. You will never be alone again. And just don't do anything you'll regret. Trust me."
"I won't. I promise. I just… I need this."
"Why?"
"I just do."
"Please, stop lying to me Emma. You never used to. Just stop. Don't think I didn't notice Regina drinking at that same sex kissing thing, and then you admit to having lied to me. What the hell happened? And don't tell me you don't know. Something between you changed after Mary Margaret's party, and then your stupid cryptic comments about behaving at this party... I might be drunk, but I'm not stupid."
"Let's go somewhere," Emma said, and the two girls walked upstairs until they found an empty room.
"Talk," Ruby demanded, and sat down on the floor with her back to the wall. Emma sat down on the other side of the small room, opposite Ruby.
"You were right. Something did happen between Regina and me at Mary Margaret's birthday. Actually, come to think of it, so much changed that day," Emma said, and let her thoughts drift back to that day just a little over a month ago.
"What on earth happened? I know that suddenly, after that day, you were friends not only with Regina freaking Mills, but also Graham. And I didn't push, I let it go. But I know that you don't make friends easy, and suddenly we're hanging out with the two of them as if we've always been friends."
Emma sighed. "I did something really stupid. You know how I've been crushing on Regina for such a long time, and when she showed up at that party I thought I'd hit the jackpot." Emma stopped for a moment. "And for a while it really seemed like I had. We ended up talking, and we really hit it off. She was kind and caring, and I think I fell a little bit in love with her that night."
"So what happened?" Ruby asked, now more curious than angry.
"What do you think? I messed up as always." Emma sighed. "Somehow we ended up in my bedroom and she was just so bloody gorgeous and she was there."
"And..?"
"I kissed her, okay? I kissed her and she completely freaked out. She ran out of there, after hardly saying a word."
"Oh, Em. I'm sorry." Ruby got up and sat down next to Emma instead.
"I was really messed up after it happened, and Mary Margaret had noticed that Regina had run out in a hurry so she sent Graham up to check up on me. And he was so nice, and understanding."
"But what happened with Regina? I mean…"
"We talked it out. I apologized, she told me she was straight but would like to be friends so I jumped at the chance. But I still can't get her out of my head, and this friendship thing makes it harder. Because she's there all the time, and I can't help fantasizing about how it would be if we had something more."
"Oh." Ruby said. "I wish you'd told me."
"I didn't want to betray her trust more than I already had. I feel so bad for just kissing her like that, but honestly, I don't regret it," Emma admitted. "Not at all. Because then we wouldn't even be friends."
"You are really in love with her, aren't you?" Ruby said. "I mean I knew you liked her, but hearing you talk about her like that…"
"I think I am," Emma admitted. "That's why I need whatever the hell is happening with Fiona. I need to get over, Rubes. I can't keep waiting for something that will never happen. I just can't. It's not fair to me." Emma said, rubbing at her eyes as she began to tear up.
"Em..." Ruby said, and as Emma put her head on Ruby's shoulder, Ruby pulled her closer. "You're going to be alright. There's a girl out there who's perfect for you, she just doesn't know it yet."
"Thank you," Emma sniffled. "I love you sometimes, you know?"
"I know." Ruby smiled. "I love you too."
"Sorry about how I acted earlier. It wasn't even any of my business." Emma had walked up behind Fiona, and when Fiona turned around, Emma smiled at her.
"Don't apologize. Just dance with me," Fiona answered, and led Emma out to the dance floor.
The floor was crowded now, with drunk, horny teenagers and Emma could feel Fiona up against her body. It was an unfamiliar feeling, the closeness of the other girl, the way she rubbed herself against Emma's body. And it felt good, and nice, and right in a way it had never done before.
Emma wasn't sure if it was the booze, or if it was about time to do something about this 'moving on' thing herself instead of waiting for someone else to make the first move. She looked up into Fiona's eyes, smiled, and then pulled the older girl into a heated kiss.
It felt good, and it made her stomach tingle and she opened her mouth so that Fiona's tongue got access. The kiss was rough, yet gentle and for the first time in months, Emma's thoughts weren't about Regina.
After what felt like forever, the two girls broke apart. "Wow." Emma breathed out. "That was…"
"Wicked," Fiona said, "You are quite the kisser, Blanchard. Though I have to say it took me by surprise."
"Why?" Emma said, but Fiona just took her hand and dragged her over the sofa area where they sat down.
"Just didn't think you had it in you." Fiona smirked. "You always seem too sweet and innocent."
"How would you know?" Emma asked, surprised; she didn't even think Fiona knew who she was prior to tonight.
"I might have been watching you for a while…" Fiona admitted.
"Why?"
"You're beautiful, and I am very gay." Fiona smirked again. "I noticed you a while ago."
"You're quite the looker yourself," Emma said, not even sure where all of her bravado was coming from, but she liked it. And she was not surprised when Fiona pulled her into another kiss. She could get used to this.
"If you are doing this with her, you better be doing it for the right reasons!" Emma heard someone say just outside the kitchen while she was getting a drink, and that someone sounded a lot like Regina.
"What's it to you, Mills?" another voice answered, and while Emma was fairly certain it was Fiona's voice she couldn't understand why Fiona would be talking to Regina.
"Because I care about her, Moreno. And I know you, I know you like to pretend we were never friends, and that's fine. But I know you."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"That the only person you have ever cared about is Katie, and if you are planning on screwing Emma just to get back at her…"
"You'll do what?" Fiona almost leered, and Emma wasn't even sure if she was still awake. This whole thing seemed like a dream. Or maybe she was hallucinating, she wondered. Could drinking even do that?
"You have no idea what I am capable of,Moreno. And I am serious, don't fuck with her," Regina practically growled.
"Just fuck her and be done with it, is that what you are saying?"
Emma almost jumped back when she heard the sound of a palm hitting a cheek. "Don't. I mean it. I won't stand in your way if you treat her as she deserves. Just don't use her as your little play toy."
"Wow, Regina…" Fiona's voice sounded kinder somehow, and the use of Regina's first name indicated some sort of change within their conversation. Emma suddenly started feeling guilty for eavesdropping. "I'm sorry, okay? I never planned on using Emma. She is fun and kind, and incredibly beautiful. I just… I don't know. And for the record, Katie isn't the only person I ever cared about."
"I know, Fi. I know." Regina said, and Emma could hear that one of the two girls walking away. What the hell had just happened? And was there someone in Emma's life that Regina didn't have a connection with? It wasn't even as if she and Fiona were doing anything serious. She'd liked kissing her; she'd liked that a lot. And she wouldn't mind doing it again, and again. Fiona was pretty. Well, very pretty. And gay. And Emma just wanted to have fun for once, and just be like other girls.
Just for one night, Emma decided to let it all go. She grabbed the half full bottle of vodka on the counter and took a swing at it. The liquor left a satisfying burning sensation down her throat. She took a couple of more shots, left the now almost empty bottle on the counter and walked back out into the living room, placing the very odd conversation she just overheard out of her mind. She was here to have fun.
After wandering around for a few minutes, she came across Graham. She yelled out as she saw her friend, and threw her arms around him. "Graham! We should dance."
"How much have you had to drink, Ems?" Graham asked.
"I don't know. I lost count hours ago." Emma giggled, actually giggled.
"Your dad is going to kill me. Or worse, your sister will," Graham said as he pulled Emma closer so she wouldn't lose her footing.
"No." Emma smiled. "They won't, because then you'd be dead and I would be sad. And dad would never do anything to make me sad, not MM either, because they love me."
"Let's go sit down."
"No! I wanna dance with you. I've barely gotten to dance with anyone. I mean, Fiona just wanted to make out. Not that I minded, I liked kissing her. She smells so good."
"Okay then. Let's dance." Graham said, and gave the DJ the sign for a slow dance so that he could hold Emma up.
"Yaaaay," Emma said, and the two of them just swayed to the music for a while. "I really like you. You are so nice," Emma sighed.
"I like you too." Graham smiled.
"But not like you like my sister right?" Emma asked and gave Graham a 'you can't hide from me' look.
"What are you talking about?"
"Oh, come on. Your boner for her is more obvious than my crush on Regina."
"What?"
Emma just gave him a look, before saying, "I wish you were her boyfriend, then you could really be my brother."
"You're really drunk, Emma," Graham said, and as the song ended Graham practically carried Emma over to the couch. People were starting to leave and the room wasn't as crowed as it has been before.
"Graham…" Emma said after they sat down.
"Yes?"
"Why's the room spinning?"
"Oh, honey. Just lay down here and close your eyes for a while. Okay?"
"Okay." Emma said, and laid her head on Graham's lap. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight."