A/N: I'm so so so so sorry for the long delay with this chapter but College is pretty demanding... I'll try my best to update as soon as I can. As always, thanks for reading it and reviews are always welcome. Enjoy x
She walked, lost in deep thought, not paying attention to anything, just allowing her feet to carry her away. She didn't remember when she got inside the Lucas's place, nor how much time she had been sitting in on of the kitchen's stools where Ruby found her. She looked at the brunette, staring through her, not really seeing her, her mind still miles away. When she started to regain some focus on the situation, she noticed that the brunette observed her worried but intensely like she was expecting something
"Regina, did you hear me? I asked what's wrong" Ruby tried asking again, her voice full of worry and sounded very firm taking into account that she was quite sick
"I just…" How can I explain that watching Emma with her "boyfriend" she mentally spat that word with disgust made me feel like drowning. She's just my friend right? Why do I care at all?
Ruby grabbed her face and stared right into her eyes, forcing her to do so
"Listen, I know you, to get you so shaken up something must had happened and your mind must be a mess right now" That was too accurate, Regina couldn't form any logical thought at the moment " So, I'm gonna give you some time… What about in the meantime we cook whatever delicious dish you were gonna make to your very sick friend? I'm seriously hungry" Ruby finished up as her stomach growled and making a display of her best pout
Regina sighed, how could she deserve such a great friend as her that even in the moments when she was sick was able to make Regina feel better and almost crack an smile. Regina got up from the stool, feeling sore and started to get all the ingredients out of their bags and put them on the kitchen counter while Ruby went to set the table
Cooking gave her enough time to think about the whole situation. She was making chicken soup with noodles because she new Red couldn't love noodles more so this was the best way to make her eat soup. Ruby had left her alone in the kitchen asking her from time to time is she needed anything but she new better than pressure her in times like this so she gave her all the space she needed.
They ate in a comfortable silence enjoying the food. Ruby didn't offer much resistance once she tasted the noodles. She is such a child thought smiling. When they finished she brought the special treat she had prepared for the brunette: oatmeal cookies. Regina knew the exact moment Red smelled them because she could she the brunette's greenish eyes going wide and her wolfish grin appear.
"Gina, do you know how much I love you right?" Red said grabbing the still steaming hot cookies without thinking "Ouch" she cried out
"You got to be careful, give them a minute and they will be cold enough to eat" she said, examining her friend's hands in case she had burned herself
"I'm okay" said Red as she removed her hands and straightened up looking at Regina
Regina sighed, knowing what her friend's next move was going to be "It's okay, you can ask" said out loud, knowing that her friend wouldn't drop the subject
"What happened? I got worried because you were taking too long" said Ruby, while eyeing the cookies
"They must be cold enough to eat by now, so go on" Regina said with a smile watching the brunette immediately get a bunch of cookies and eat the eagerly
"God Regina, this are heavenly" moaned Ruby . The brunette was enjoying so much the cookies that Regina couldn't resist the urge to laugh at her friend. When her laughter died, she remembered that she'd been asked a question"
"I went to the grocery store, and when I got out I saw Emma's bike, the waitress I work with in Granny, and she appeared nearby with a guy, and I don't know what got in me because I hid in a bush and I observed them" She admitted with a blush. Ruby remained silent, listening to her, the only sound was the crunch of the cookies "They got close enough for me to hear them and I don't like the guy a little bit, he was so….. rude, I think he is her boyfriend, and when he was about to kiss her you called and I panicked and I left without looking back" Regina thickly rambled the last part, feeling like the stress was getting back
"I'm sorry I blew your cover" Ruby said laughing "But, I don't get it , why do you care at all about them being together? Aren't you and Emma friends?
"Yeah, we are, it's just, she deserves much better than that, he looked at her like she was a piece of meat" Regina grumbled
"Regina, do you like her?" Ruby asked her, looking straight in to her eyes
"I don't" Regina answered too quickly I don't like her right?
"Are you sure?"
After a long pause Regina answered, feeling very tired " No"
They spent the rest of the time watching Tv shows to which she couldn't pay much attention, feeling lost again in her inner debate. She never thought much about her sexuality, she never had a reason to. She never was interested in anybody in that way, she didn't had a real interest in them. But Robin liked me She remembered her classmate, always following her around, trying to gain her attention. It wasn't like he wasn't attractive, most of the girls would like to date him but she didn't find attractive his "charming" ways nor his insistence. She almost gave in while Ruby was in Norway, traveling 4 months through those lands. She felt so lonely, and he offered his company all the time so it was tempting but she didn't want to give false hopes to the guy, she didn't love him.
But then there was the exception, Emma. She was interested in the other girl. She loved to see those eyes full of excitement, her blonde mane up in a ponytail, highlighting her breathtaking cheekbones, her warm smile when she greeted her when she arrived to the restaurant…. God, I do like Emma Swan. But she was with Hook …..
Ruby noticed the change in the mood of her friend, but said nothing, leaving her to figure it all out alone. When Regina was about to leave, Ruby engulfed her into a bear hug, knowing that Regina loved those. They made her feel special, loved and fuzzy inside all at one. That boost helped her out when she got in her car and headed to the restaurant, where the blonde probably would be waiting for her
She wasn't wrong, the blonde was anxiously pacing around the restaurant when she arrived. When she lifted her hear and saw her, immediately started rambling:
"Regina, it was you this morning weren't you? Why where you hiding? I tried to reach you but …."
Regina raised her hand effectively cutting the verbal vomit the blonde was throwing at her
"It doesn't matter, let's get to work, shall we? she said politely, not showing any of her emotions, protecting herself the best way she knew, being distant
The blonde looked hurt and opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something but she closed it and started moving around the restaurant arranging everything to leave it perfect for the dinner service
Regina did her best not to look at the blonde, trying to keep herself busy because she knew that she couldn't have her the way she wanted so it was best to cut short her hopes. Their usual way of doing things: knowing what the other needed, checking if the other was okay…making each other's work easier wasn't working. They crashed a few times, they obstructing each other's paths making the job twice as hard as it was.
When their shift finished Regina could swear she wouldn't be as tired if she had run a marathon. Trying to keep the distance was getting very hard, just watching now those green pools she just felt like the green demon of jealousy was stabbing her heart again but it stabbed her even harder when a certain guy appeared to give Emma a ride home with a hideous old orange motorcycle. She hadn't had noticed that the blonde's motorbike wasn't in the parking lot. Emma quickly bid her goodbyes to Granny and Regina and when out to meet him, grabbed her helmet, rode behind the guy and huge him tightly before they disappeared with a loud noise into the night.
When she arrived home,everything was dark and quiet, some moonlight shone through the big windows of the mansion, making the rooms visible enough. She couldn't help the emptiness she felt, so she decided to fill it with food. She quickly opened the freezer, ice-cream it is, but not just any ice-cream, cookie-dough ice-cream. She grabbed the biggest spoon she could find, and brought everything to her room.
This is not enough she thought while shoving the cold treat into her mouth, so she opened Spotify, grabbed her headphones and put it into shuffle
She was digging it , enjoying the way her thoughts seem to be reduced to background noise while the melodic voice of the singer wrapped her while the food was helping her feel better.
Why am I pinning over a woman? I don't need anyone, I'm awesome and have Ruby
She tried to convince herself that her feelings where a result of her tiredness when she started to pay attention at the lyrics of the song
Every little glance my way
Every time you wanted to hang
You seemed so interested
Could you tell me was it real or was it all in my head
Regina was about to grab more ice-cream when she heard those lyrics. It seemed like the singer had witnessed all her misadventures and wrote the song only for her
Time for me to move on now, it was probably just a silly crush anyway
She is right, I'm tired and I'm not thinking straight, I should go to sleep Regina thought.
She left the empty container with the spoon in the floor, and prepared herself to go to sleep. She let herself fall in the bed unceremoniously and prayed that sleep would conquer her soon