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Regina’s heart shatters. She watches as everyone plans to go to granny’s and Henry leaves her arms and goes with them. She watches as tears fill her eyes.
Regina watches as her heart shatters.
***
Emma invites her.
A simple text: Hey Regina, wanna join us at Granny’s tonight? Henry and I would love to have you.
Regina is sitting in her study, a bunch of papers spread out in front of her -- she had started with her work to distract herself but the words kept blurring -- as she reads the text, and she laughs out loud. A humorless laugh that soon turns into heaving sobs.
Henry. That part almost melts her. Almost.
But she won’t go, won’t humiliate herself, and party with people who hate her. They couldn’t even bother to invite her when she’s the one who took in the curse to get the wretched savior and Snow White back safely.
There’d been a moment out there with Emma-- they’d smiled at each other. Regina had romanticized the moment in her head. Foolish.
She doesn’t know what Emma planned to accomplish with the text she sent her. Because seriously? Regina feels a lot like strangling the savior. What did she think would happen? That Regina would reply back with an aww of course with multiple smiley faces and hearts? Emma hadn’t even bothered to call her. She had just decided to shoot a text which included a Henry guilt-trip and call it a day.
To hell with Emma. To hell with all the stupid heroes.
After Regina’s calmed down she thinks she should call it a night. Before she has another breakdown.
***
“You’re not my real mom!” Henry shouts. Regina’s heart breaks and a piece of glass falls to the ground.
“You’re the evil queen!” This time it’s Emma. Another piece of glass falls to the ground.
“You don’t love me!” Another piece down.
As the insults grow, her heart keeps raining down glass until there’s nothing left. Regina can’t pick them up, let alone put them back together, she can’t--
Regina wakes up, immediately sitting up in bed, panting and shaking.
Suddenly, something loud goes through the house and Regina is about to shut her ears, her heart still beating fast, when she realizes what it is.
The doorbell.
Oh.
Regina checks the time on her phone. It’s 1 a.m.
Wait. Who’s here at this hour?
Even as she asks herself that, she knows it’s a stupid question. There’s most probably a mob standing at her door, come here to finish her off after they finished off their party.
Regina’s thinking of altogether ignoring it when the bell rings again. God.
She’ll just go and check who it is from the peephole and then return back to bed, Regina decides. She reluctantly wears her robe and goes down to check. She’s walking down the stairs when she hears an odd noise from outside.
Regina pauses. Then she hears something else-- the lock turning.
They’re breaking in. Regina freezes, but her heart is thrumming with fear. She’s alone and defenseless.
Well, not exactly defenseless. She has her magic. Let them come.
The door opens and-- there’s no mob. Just Emma Swan.
Regina’s heart rate calms a little.
“Regina, oh my God,” Emma says, rushing up the stairs and pausing in front of Regina. Regina takes a step back up. “You’re okay, oh my God, I was so worried.”
Regina furrows her brow in confusion. “Of course I’m okay, why wouldn’t I be?”
“You didn’t show up to the party for an hour! I thought- I thought something happened.”
Regina curls up her lip in an evil smile. “Of course I wouldn’t show up to your stupid party. What did you think? That you’d send me a pathetic text and I’d come running to your party?”
Emma recoils. “I- I thought you’d like to come.”
“Well, you thought wrong!” She snaps.
“Henry missed you,” Emma says patiently and Regina almost screams in frustration.
“Will you stop pulling the Henry card on me!?”
“Wha-- I’m not doing anything like that I’m being honest!”
“I don’t care, Miss Swan, I--“
“Oh my God, shut up!” Emma snaps and Regina’s mouth snaps shut immediately, more out of surprise than obedience. Emma continues, “I was worried so I came to check on you, that’s it. And Henry and I genuinely wanted you to join us, alright? I understand that—“
“Well, that’s the thing, Miss Swan, you don’t understand, so don’t even pretend like you do.”
“Alright,” Emma says patiently. “I don’t understand. And I’m sorry. But I meant well, I promise.”
Regina relaxes just a little bit. “Okay.”
They stand like that for what feels like forever to Regina until Emma clears her throat. “So…are you okay?”
Regina blinks. Why do you care? She wants to ask. But she doesn’t. Instead, she simply says, “Yes.”
Emma sputters out a nervous chuckle. “You know about my superpower, Regina. I can tell when someone’s lying. And right now? You’re lying.”
“Fine!” Regina spits out, traitorous tears springing to her eyes. “I’m not okay! What are you gonna do about it?”
Emma takes a second before she speaks. “I could give you a hug?” She questions, nervously -- as if Regina would kick her out for even suggesting this, which she might -- but genuinely.
Regina doesn’t know what to say. For one, she really could use a hug, but she’d sooner throw herself off the clock tower than accept a sympathy hug from Emma Swan.
Emma laughs again. “Of course you’d be too stubborn to accept a hug from someone who genuinely just has the best intentions. I’ll just give you it.” With that, Emma strides up the few steps of distance between them and wraps Regina in her arms.
Regina’s hands instinctively go up to hold Emma as well and her head falls against Emma’s shoulder.
“I’m here for you,” Emma whispers in her hair, holding on to Regina tighter. “I promise.”
Regina squeezes her eyes shut and wills the tears not to come. They stay like that for a full minute before Regina reluctantly pulls back. She hasn’t felt this safe or loved in a while, which is so stupid because Emma Swan one hundred percent does not love her.
But still, Regina wouldn’t complain if she got this hug every day.
Emma’s looking into her eyes and Regina can feel a blush creeping up. “What?” Regina demands, or tries, but it comes out pretty weak.
Emma’s eyes drop to her lips. “Can I kiss you?” She asks softly.
Regina’s heart jumps. “Are you-- are you being serious?”
Emma sighs fondly. “Regina, I’ve been honest with you so far tonight, haven’t I? Why would I lie about this?”
She’s still looking into her eyes and using that infuriating but ridiculously endearing patient tone and it’s all the encouragement Regina needs.
She dives in to catch Emma’s lips with her own and Emma immediately responds, kissing her back fiercely. Emma tucks her hands under Regina’s thighs and lifts her up. Regina gasps but only takes a second to recover, nipping at Emma’s neck.
Emma carries her to the master bedroom and shuts the door behind her using her leg.