Even after an hour long soak in her bathtub Emma wasn't feeling very rejuvenated, she'd told Regina that she did have feelings that were a bit more than friendly and the mayor had never responded. Not even a single word about it. Ruby tried to get her to talk about it but the blonde had shrugged her off, setting up camp in her bed with Netflix and some cocoa. It was probably her tenth episode of a crime series when her red headed friend appeared in her doorway with a small smile. "You got something, Swan," She moved into the bedroom with flowers in her hands but not just any flowers, scarlet pimpernels "I've never really seen flowers like these and there's even a note."
Ruby set the flowers on her nightstand before handing her the note and moving to pick up a few things left about her friend's room, wanting to help since she was injured. Emma was still staring at the flowers before she decided to cut her some slack. "Alright, I've been hounding you all day and I think it's time for me to head home. I'll stop by first thing in the morning but just call me if you need me." She moved over to give her a half hug before leaving her friend alone.
There was only one person she could think of that would send her scarlet pimpernels and it was confirmed when she opened the note, with little difficulty due to her new handicap, and read it.
'Emma, we may be even on flowers now but I think I had to do a lot more leg work to get these to you. Moe French did not want to give up your address but I worked some magic. I even located a florist with scarlet pimpernels in their inventory and that was no small feat. I am sorry that I froze and I want to make it up to you. Will you call me tonight? If you can manage with one hand. Regina.'
She set the note near the flowers as she paused the episode of Forensic Files before it could go too far and wrap her up in a new mystery. Emma chewed on her bottom lip as she considered her options, she could ignore Regina and only hurt herself and the caring mayor or she could call her and just accept that friendship was better then nothing. The debate only lasted for a few minutes of back and forth before she grabbed her phone.
"Emma!" It was Henry that answered and she couldn't help but laugh, she'd been tensed expecting to hear Regina's voice right away and have to face rejection instantly but this was a nice surprise. "Where have you been all day? My mom tries to hide it but I can tell she's bummed out and I know it's because of you. Did you talk to her today?"
She heaved a sigh at his interrogation, feeling ashamed that she was the cause of Regina being upset in any way and that Henry had picked up on it. "Hey kid, you should go into law enforcement with all the detective work you're doing here," Emma stood up and went out to her balcony for the fresh air "I did, Officer Henry, I talked to her earlier today but I got hurt at work so I haven't been texting as frequently. However I am trying to talk to her now."
"Henry, where did you go? I thought you wanted to watch- Are you on my phone?" Her breath caught in her throat as she could hear Regina in the background, Henry was busted and now she had to talk to the mayor. "Give me that and go take a bath, we'll talk about this later." "Night Emma." Henry said softly and she felt for the kid, knowing he was going to get in some trouble for stealing his mom's phone.
"Night kid. Get some sleep for school tomorrow," Emma smiled before sitting down in one of the chairs on her balcony, folding her legs underneath her and keeping her injured limb close to her body. She heard the sound of the mayor sighing close to the phone and leapt to Henry's defense "He was just giving me the business for not talking to you enough today, Regina, honest. Henry said you seemed bummed out and he's a bright kid so he put two and two together and was interrogating me for not being there. I… didn't tell him why I was giving you space though."
Regina hadn't responded yet and the blonde was getting deja vu from earlier in the day so she pressed on in holding up the conversation. "Thank you for the flowers. I have no idea how you managed to find them but they're beautiful, I forgot they came in shades of blue. And hey, I was able to call you even with my broken wing," She chuckled at her own lame attempt at humor before taking a deep breath "Look, Regina, I'm sorry I dumped my feelings on you earlier and I understand if-"
"I don't know how to love very well," Regina cut her off and shut Emma up in an instant, wanting to hear what she had to say and shocked at the word love "Everyone I've ever loved or love is either dead, dead to me, or is my son. I haven't had anyone in my life that's cared for me in that way since Daniel and today, when you said all those wonderful things about me, I got scared. I felt like you could be ripped away from me, I still feel that way. I just met you- I haven't even met you, actually- and I am already scared to lose you, Emma because I want you in our lives, Henry needs someone like you and I'm starting to think that I do too. I should have told you all of this earlier, I feel terrible that you opened your heart and I didn't say a thing because you have a good heart, Emma, I've seen it."
Now Emma was the one who was speechless, she was still trying to find something to say when the role reversal continued as Regina went on. "I haven't smiled as much as I have in the past few days in the last few years, I look forward to hearing from you and was so disappointed when I hadn't for so much of today. I have never fallen asleep on the phone with someone and I haven't even told my therapist the entire story of Daniel, the only two people in the world who I've told are Henry and you. I feel safe with you, I can cry and laugh and make references to sappy romantic movies. I've never told anyone about that tattoo. I went to the stables in Storybrooke today, something I haven't done before. You are all I talk about with Dr. Hopper. Today was the first selfie I've ever taken and.. And I think about you constantly."
The blonde was overwhelmed with this wealth of information but it was a good feeling and she couldn't stop the grin that took over her face at Regina's words. "I'm proud of you, for going to the stables. I know that had to be hard after what happened with Daniel and your mother. But I don't blame you for what happened today, you don't have to do anything for me. Don't get me wrong I love the flowers but you don't have to make up for not feeling the same way I do." She got up and went back to her room, pausing to look at the flowers.
Regina let out a little laugh "I didn't send you flowers because I feel bad for not reciprocating your feelings, Em-ma, I sent you them because I do. I have feelings for you and they are very real and very terrifying. It's scaring me that I care about someone who is so far away and I've never physically met. But I want to. I want you to come to Storybrooke and meet Henry and myself; I want you to see what our lives are like because you have become part of them. For months now you've been in Henry's and now you're in mine and we want you here."
Emma grabbed her laptop and pulled up Skype "Regina, I need you to do me a favor so please go to your office and answer my call." She hung up, not giving her the chance to argue or agree, as she needed to see her. If Regina's feelings were real then it was important to see her. She was just about to call when she got a notification instead, answering and smiling at the raven-haired woman who filled up her screen.
"I need to see you too, Emma, once that wrist is healed please say you'll come here? I can ask you in a hundred different ways- in English or Spanish. I'll even learn a new language just to ask you." Regina smiled, the most beautiful sight in the entire world to Emma was that smile and how could she say no to something like that?
"You don't have to ask me more than you already have because I want to fly there right now and hug you and Henry but with my silly sprain," She lifted up her wrapped wrist for emphasis "But I'll be there once it's fixed, the minute after my doctor clears me. In the meantime at least I can see you. It's a lot better than just looking at your selfie even if your messy bedhead was adorable." Emma laughed and Regina arched an eyebrow.
"Adorable? I don't do adorable, dear, I think you meant to say devastatingly gorgeous, right?" Regina teased but subconsciously ran her fingers through her hair, trying to make sure it didn't look anything like she had just woken up. Emma reached out of the frame and grabbed a slip of paper, pushing her glasses up as she read over it a few more times.
She had done a little Googling when Regina hadn't been speaking to her and she was hoping to impress her. "Actually you're right, I didn't mean to say adorable. What I meant was.. eres la mujer mas bella del mundo," She looked up to see brown eyes widening by degrees and she was terrified she had said something wrong "Please tell me I said that sort of right? I listened to the audio of that weird robot voice saying it a dozen times. Maybe a thousand."
Regina had to admit, her delivery was rough and needed some work but it still sounded perfect to her "You just called me the most beautiful woman in the world and you said it in a language that means so much to me and that I love. You said it just right, Emma, and we can work on your Spanish. I'll teach you more. Starting with one thing, repeat after me. Tengo un flechazo contigo." She spoke the last line slow, making the blonde's jaw go slack and her pupils dilate. "Miss Swan, focus or you're getting detention. Say it. Tengo un flechazo contigo."
Emma swallowed down a comment about detention with Professor Mills before nodding "Okay, okay, as you wish, your majesty. Tengo un flechazo contigo. What did you just make me say? It was nothing too scandalous right? Or embarrassing? Did I just say I'm a flying monkey?" She knew she was butchering it; it didn't sound the same as the way the words just rolled off Regina's tongue.
"I have a crush on you. That's what you said. Well, that's what I taught you to say. I have to admit I wanted to hear you say it again and it's pretty cute hearing your attempt at Spanish but we'll get your mouth trained to handle it in no time." Blue green eyes were the one's widening this time and both women laughed, Regina at realizing what she had just said and Emma after hearing Regina's laugh. It was contagious and the best thing to catch.
"I think it's time for dirty minded mayors everywhere to get some sleep, Regina. Wounded Swans too," She chuckled and took her glasses off before leaning back on her pillows "There is one thing I can say without lessons or Google. Buenos noches, Madam Mayor."
"Well Miss Swan, muy bien. Tomorrow, if that wounded wing of yours allows it, I'd like to hear more from you. We have much to discuss after all, an entire trip to plan. You'll have to tell me what you want to do here in Storybrooke. For now…buenos noches querida."
When her screen went dark she looked up the word querida and couldn't help the grin at he results. Dear. It was so fitting of Regina, who used dear so often, but it still felt very sweet. Emma tried to remember the first thing Regina had ever said to her in Spanish but she could only remember one word. Ropa, which meant clothing.
She grabbed her phone and started typing a quick text message to Regina, asking what she had said word for word. Emma didn't expect her to translate it but her brain nearly short-circuited when she got a text back.
'I said; I don't have underwear on. It wasn't true- they were black lace and most certainly on- but I was hoping you'd ask one day although, if I'm being honest, I was hoping to see your reaction. I think you REALLY enjoy when I speak Spanish. Aren't we supposed to be getting sleep? I have a feeling that this new information will keep you up.'
Black lace. Of course they'd be black lace and she couldn't help but imagine them against Regina's gorgeous skin. Emma swallowed the lump in her throat and realized another message was waiting for her.
'Did I overload your brain, Miss Swan? Too much? You've said it yourself I have a dirty mind. Get some sleep.'
Regina smirked at her last message, dropping her phone on her bed before going to Henry's room. She knocked and opened the door, leaning in the doorway as she caught Henry reading a comic book with a flashlight. She knew he wouldn't go right to sleep after getting in trouble and now she felt a little guilty, her son had been looking out for her by going off on Emma on her behalf.
"You're not in trouble, my little prince, but you know that you aren't supposed to go through or answer my phone," She walked in and sat on the bed, grabbing his hand and kissing it "I love that you did it because you thought you were looking out for me. You were right, I was sad that Emma wasn't talking to me but she had good reasons. We've talked it over and I think you'll be thrilled to hear that she's coming to see us once her sprain heals." Regina squeezed his hand in hers and smiled.
Henry's flashlight and comic book fell by the wayside as he jumped to hug his mother with a huge smile on his face "She's really coming?! We're going to get her from the airport right? What day? Can we make signs for her? Is there anything I can do to help get the house ready? Or help you?" He was in a rush and was about to get out of bed to go start doing something when Regina wrapped her arms around him and laughed.
"Oh no, my little prince, not tonight! I love how excited you are and I promise you I share in your excitement. We still have weeks to prepare and things to plan, we don't know if she's going to fly yet so let's hold off on making posters. But it's time for you to get some rest and I don't mean read comic books in the dark, Henry Daniel Mills," She nuzzled her nose against his cheek before kissing his forehead "You know? The faster you go to sleep the faster another day comes closer to Emma's visit. So go to bed. I love you." Regina bent to grab the flashlight, turning it off before setting both it and the comic book on his desk and then started to the door.
"Mom?" She turned back to look at Henry "I love you too and I can't wait for Emma to be here with us." He smiled before getting under his covers and rolling onto his side, his back now facing his smiling mother. Regina was happy to see the excitement in Henry's eyes and she only wanted to keep that alive, he hadn't been this excited for anything in a long time and she did share the feeling. Emma was bringing a lot of joy before she'd even arrived.
When Regina made it to her room there was a text message lighting up her phone and she grabbed it in an instant, opening it up and chuckling as she saw a photo of Emma making an incredibly goofy face to the camera with a text along with it.
'How my face looks now that you've melted my brains, just look what you've done you lace wearing monster! I hope you and Henry have the sweetest dreams. Mine might have black lace involved- care to venture a guess why? By the way, tit for tat, I usually wear boxer briefs. I even have a pair with little swans all over them. Maybe we need to get you some with apples? Now there's something to double overload my brain, you in boxers! Night Regina.'
It was a good comeback, picturing the blonde wearing boxers with swans on them, and she was impressed at its effectiveness when she couldn't get her mind off of it for a little while. Regina was considering looking for a pair of boxer briefs with apples on them as she got undressed and into pajamas but she put it out of her mind as she got into bed.
Opening her phone she looked at the ridiculous selfie one more time before replying with a simple 'Good night, Emma.' and then she went to sleep herself. Dreaming of a blonde woman sleeping next to her, wearing swan covered boxer briefs.