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The tension and excitement in Granny’s was mounting.
Five minutes until the clock strikes midnight and a new year would be upon them. Twinkling lights were strung up around the diner, some still from Christmas but Emma noticed some added white lights to add to the New Year ambiance. Music drifted around the diner though Emma couldn’t place the songs. People were starting to gather nearer, some people pairing off to be sure they got their New year’s eve kiss and Leroy was at the bar ordering another drink. Emma silently thanked whatever powers that be that Storybrooke had brought in it’s own version of Uber so she wouldn’t have to spend this New Years wrangling his hefty ass into a jail cell.
Maybe that’s why some of her previous years had been so shitty.
Emma was nursing her own beer, her only one of the night. Truthfully, she was glad to say goodbye to this year. Forget it, even. She’d accomplished nothing but a divorce and moving back in with her parents. But this next year would be better. Lighter. Things were already looking up. She’d been spending more time with Regina, and by extension, their teenage son. But mostly with her co-parent... her friend? her....??? Emma couldn’t place a word to describe her relationship with the other woman. None of those other nouns seemed to fit... whatever they were. It felt like more. It felt not enough.
Lunches with Regina had turned into dinners, dinners had turned into movie nights, movie nights had turned into Emma sleeping over, usually falling asleep on the couch or offering to take the guest bed when Regina insisted that she stay. Emma slept her best at Regina’s, and despite her mother’s coy little knowing glances that she’d receive the following days that made her fluster, things were good. Things felt right.
Plus she was here with Regina tonight, wasn’t she? They made the plans to come together, they rode together. Walked in together. Said hellos together as they entered the diner and then Emma had helped remove Regina’s trench coat once fully inside. It was warm in the diner. A stark contrast to the snow that was falling outside. Random snowflakes had fallen on Regina’s jacket, making her colder.
“Would you mind?” Regina had asked her, gesturing to her coat. Would she mind? Helping her lose layers of clothes? Emma knew her mouth was hanging in that dopey way and it took her a second to actually move her limbs, her brain short circuiting just at the thought of removing Regina’s jacket.
So Emma had taken her jacket and hung it on Granny’s coat hanger, deciding, or more like forgetting, to leave herself covered in red leather. Maybe that’s why Emma was so warm now. It seemed the heat ticked up a notch with each passing second on the clock.
Two Minutes.
Was this a date? Emma took a long sip from her bottle just thinking about it. Again. They hadn’t used the word date. But something about tonight felt different. Maybe it was the new year looming. Or maybe... maybe.
Regina was across the room. Not that Emma had been watching her. Much. Okay maybe a little. She was talking to Zelena, or arguing. Emma wasn’t sure. She could never tell with those two. It was one in the same.
Regina was wearing dark slacks which made Emma secretly curse the Maine weather since it was far too cold and icy for even Regina Mills to be wearing a dress. Her top was long sleeved, red silk. Emma’s current only enemy, that traitorous button that had been taunting her for years, undone. Emma took another gulp of her drink, which had long since went warm, when Regina shifted, finally removing the leather gloves from her hands (Maybe she was feeling the heat too. It couldn’t just be her, right?) and gave Emma a view of black lace when the silk shifted with her. Nobody else probably noticed it, maybe Emma was just a pervert, but she still scowled when she thought of anyone else noticing Regina like that. Like her.
“Hey ‘Ma!” Henry jolted her out of her thoughts, “Violet, Nick, and I are going out to shoot some fireworks!” He quickly kissed her lightly on the cheek as he brushed by, his excitement almost contagious as he threw a “Happy new year!” over his shoulder at her.
“Happy New Year, kid.”
One Minute.
Emma finished her beer as she watched Henry have what was probably the same exchange with Regina before hurrying out the door behind his friends. The interaction with Henry had shooed Zelena off and now Regina was by herself. The twinkling lights dancing off Regina’s skin made her look beautiful. Who was she kidding? Regina always looked beautiful.
Twenty Seconds.
Emma chunked her beer in a trash can. Auld Lang Syne started up from the speakers. Brown eyes met her’s and suddenly Emma’s feet were moving, moving, moving.
She was sure it was the lights, but the brunette woman seemed to glow radiant as Emma approached her.
“Emma,” it was somehow throaty and breathy and very Regina in a way that made her knees weak every time the other woman spoke her name. “Hey.”
“Hi.”
Ten seconds.
The crowd in the diner started counting down. Hoots and hollers of New Year’s eve celebrations around then and all Emma could hear was the slight hitch in Regina’s breath as she stepped in her space.
Nine.
Regina’s eyes flicked to Emma’s lips.
Eight.
“This year has been crap.”
Regina hums in agreement. Clearly not expecting whatever this... is. But Emma can’t stop. She feels like a bottle has been uncorked and now the word vomit is just flowing.
Seven.
“But the best parts have been you. With you. They’ve always been you.”
Six.
Regina’s eyes are wide and like she can’t believe anyone would categorize her in anything as “best”, even though Emma always had. And there it comes again, her name leaving Regina’s red lips, “Emma...” Maybe shes speechless but she says it in a way that’s full of adoration.
Five.
“I want to start this year off right and I’ve been thinking, and I know, I know that’s not my strong suit but this,” and somehow Emma shifts even closer to Regina, her senses filled with apples and lavender and maybe vanilla and if Emma didn’t know she’d just had one beer she’d swear she was drunk because she feels dizzy. “this feels right.”
Four.
She continues, “And I’d like to do right by you.”
Emma is either about to have the best New Year’s eve or the worst and her nerves are all shook up but Regina looks enamored so maybe.
Regina’s eyes then do that thing, roaming Emma’s face and down, down, down, that makes the blonde feel like jello.
Three.
“I’d like that.”
“Yeah?”
“Oh, Emma...” and then Regina is cupping her face with her hand (her ungloved!!! hand!!!) and looking at her like she’s been waiting for her to catch on to something for a long time and like she just had.
Two.
Emma is fiddling with Regina’s belt loops, nervously.
“I think... i think I’m going to kiss you now.” Emma murmurs, her lips already making their descent.
One.
Before Emma can even make it, Regina’s hand that was on her face is now tangled in her hair and she pulled Emma down to her and they’re kissing and people are shouting Happy New Year! around them and cheering but Regina’s lips are still on her’s soft, soft, soft and Emma doesn’t even have to walk outside to see the fireworks because they lit up her mind the moment Regina’s lips touched hers.
Regina sighed into the kiss, or maybe it was a moan? It was too loud around them now so Emma wasn’t sure and she mentally added making sure she hears that sound again to her New Years Resolution list. Finally one she wouldn’t break.
Regina bit slash tugged Emma’s bottom lip gently before pulling back, aware they were in public and shouldn’t become too indecent at Granny’s and Emma couldn’t tell if she was floating or melting or somehow maybe both. Kissing Regina had felt like hours when really it was mere seconds, though judging by all the sounds around them maybe they had carried on longer than other couples. But Emma had waited too long for this moment, went through so much to get here, so she deserved to bask. They both did. No regrets.
Especially not now that Regina was pursing her lips, a peek of her tongue that she might of missed if Emma wasn’t still just staring! at! her! mouth! darting out to lick her lips as if still trying to taste Emma.
The energy was crackling around them. Something new. Something good.
“So, a new year?” Regina hummed, sounding like a weight has been lifted from her shoulders. Emma knows that feeling.
“A new chapter.” Emma confirmed and somehow it felt true. Hell, maybe even a new book but baby steps and Regina’s eyes were sparkling and dancing over her face.
“I like that.”
Of course the moment was short lived because Emma jumped suddenly when a hand was placed on her shoulder and she turned to see her mother. Smiling. Looking at her like that, with that look in her eye that mom’s get, you know the one. Her daughter blushed knowing that her mom saw her kissing her former enemy and gosh, had they always been this close to the bar? Did she back Regina into it? Fuck. Snow probably had taken pictures.
“Happy New Year you two.” Snow sing songed, walking out of the diner looking like the cat who ate the canary.
“Happy New year, Emma, Regina.” David offered as he followed dutifully behind his wife.
Well that was awkward. But Regina was looking at her in a way that told her maybe it wasn’t. It had been a long time coming anyways, hadn’t it?
“What do you say we go get our son before he blows himself up out there and go home?”
Home. And hasn’t that been what Emma has always craved?
Regina grabs her coat from the coat hanger and hands it to Emma, gesturing for her to help slide it back over her shoulders.
Emma nods and helps.
“So, any resolutions for the New Year?”
The bell over the door rings as Emma holds the door open for the other woman. “Well, Madam Mayor, play your cards right tonight and maybe you’ll find out.”
One of Henry’s fireworks went off overhead in that moment, lighting up the sky and Regina tilts her head back and just laughs, laughs, and Emma just knows she’s smiling like an idiot.
“We’ll see about that, Miss Swan.” But Regina’s looking at her in a way that Emma knows they’ll definitely “see about about” and maybe.... just maybe.
But it doesn’t feel like Emma will have to rely solely on maybes anymore.