I do not own the rights to the TV show, the characters, or the music. This is just me writing as a fan.
No copyright infringement intended. Pls don't sue me. :)
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"The Perfect Pebble"
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Regina wasn't entirely sure how Emma had convinced her to spend their lunch break at the Storybrooke Aquarium's new penguin exhibit, but here she was, watching Emma press her hands against the glass like an excited child.
"Did you know," Emma said suddenly, her breath fogging the glass, "that penguins have this really interesting courtship ritual called pebbling?"
Regina raised an eyebrow, but stepped closer to join Emma at the viewing window. "I assume you're about to tell me all about it?"
"Look at that one there," Emma pointed to a penguin carefully selecting a small stone from the exhibit floor. "When penguins want to court their mate, they search for the perfect pebble. It has to be just right – smooth, pretty, special. And when they find it, they present it to the penguin they want to be with."
Regina watched as the penguin waddled across to another, gently placing the pebble at its feet. "That seems... surprisingly romantic for a bird."
"Right?" Emma's voice was soft, almost wistful. "And here's the thing – they don't just do it once. They keep bringing pebbles throughout their relationship. It's like... like they're saying 'I choose you' over and over again."
Something in Emma's tone made Regina turn to look at her. Emma was still watching the penguins, but her cheeks had flushed slightly pink.
"The pebbles aren't always perfect," Emma continued, her voice taking on that quality it got when she was trying to say something important without actually saying it. "Sometimes they're just ordinary rocks. But it's the gesture that matters. The fact that they went looking, that they thought 'this one, this is the one that will make my mate happy.'"
Regina's mind suddenly flashed to all the little things Emma had been doing lately – the coffee that appeared on her desk every morning, exactly how she liked it; the time Emma had found her mother's old recipe book at an antique store and bought it without mentioning the price; the way Emma would bring her random things that made her think of Regina – a pristine red apple she'd found at the farmer's market, a bottle of that artisanal cider she'd mentioned liking, even just funny stories she'd saved up throughout her day.
"Emma," Regina said slowly, realization dawning, "have you been... pebbling me?"
Emma's blush deepened, but she finally turned to meet Regina's eyes. "Maybe? I mean, I know it's kind of silly, but when I read about it, it just made sense, you know? Sometimes it's hard to say things, but I can show them, and you deserve all the perfect pebbles, even if they're just small things, and I—"
Regina cut off Emma's rambling by reaching down and taking her hand, threading their fingers together. "How long?"
"Remember that time I brought you that fancy pen because your favourite one ran out of ink?"
"That was eight months ago."
Emma squeezed her hand, looking almost shy. "Yeah, well, I'm not always the quickest at figuring things out, but I knew that one was a perfect pebble moment."
Regina felt her throat tighten with emotion. All those little gestures, those seemingly random gifts and moments – they hadn't been random at all. They had been Emma, steadily and quietly building their nest, one pebble at a time.
"The cinnamon rolls this morning?" Regina asked, thinking of the warm pastry that had appeared on her desk.
"Definitely a pebble," Emma admitted, swinging their joined hands slightly. "Though not my smoothest one. I had to fight Leroy for the last one."
Regina laughed softly, the sound a bit watery. "You got into a fight with a dwarf over a pastry for me?"
"Hey, it was the perfect pebble for today. Had to defend its honour." Emma's grin was a mix of sheepish and proud. "Besides, you love their cinnamon rolls."
Regina tugged Emma closer, resting their shoulders together as they watched the penguins continue their courtship rituals. "You know," she said after a moment, "I have a quite extensive collection of scarves that somehow ended up in your coat pocket whenever you were cold."
Emma's breath caught. "Yeah?"
"And I seem to recall making sure your office has fresh flowers every week, even though you never mentioned liking them."
"They always make me smile," Emma admitted softly. "Makes the place feel like home."
Regina turned to face Emma fully, her free hand coming up to cup Emma's cheek. "It seems we've both been collecting pebbles."
Emma leaned into her touch, eyes bright with emotion. "Does this mean my pebbles have been acceptable?"
Instead of answering, Regina closed the distance between them, pressing a soft kiss to Emma's lips. When she pulled back, Emma's smile was brighter than she'd ever seen it.
"So," Emma said, a bit breathlessly, "want to get lunch? I know this great little place that just got in your favourite wine."
Regina laughed, warmth blooming in her chest. "Another pebble, Miss Swan?"
"Well," Emma grinned, tugging her toward the exit, "a penguin's work is never done."
Behind them, a penguin proudly presented its mate with a particularly shiny stone, and Regina found herself thinking that perhaps there was something to be learned from these odd little birds after all.
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#I pebble a lot. Do you?