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The banging won’t stop. Her phone had been constantly ringing until she unceremoniously tossed it out the window of her two story apartment just thirty minutes ago causing whoever was trying to get ahold of her to assault her door. Poking her headphones into her ears, Emma Swan leaned back on the couch, stretching her legs as she closed her eyes to tune out the BANG BANG BANG. Eventually the noise at the door stopped, but she was blissfully unaware as she had already passed into a deep sleep. Laying on her back with her legs and arms sprawled over the couch, the sleeping woman didn’t even notice the cloud of purple smoke appearing in the middle of the room before slowly dissipating to reveal a significantly annoyed Regina Mills.
“Emma,” clipped Regina Mills standing over her, “Emma,” she intoned plucking out the blonde’s headphones causing the sleeping woman to snap awake with a jolt.
“Whoaheywha…?”
“Hello,” said Regina casually looking the blonde up and down, noting her grey hoody and Darkwing Duck pajama bottoms.
“Hey,” Emma shook her head and rubbed her eyes, “Were you the one banging on the door just now?”
“No, I was at home trying to work on a few things when a very irate troop of Dwarves were unable to get ahold of you and settled on bothering me.”
“Oh…” replied the blonde with a shallow nod. Regina took a moment to really look at the woman sitting in front of her. Her skin was pale, dark circles looped her eyes while her usually proud shoulders slumped as if being crushed under a weight. Emma’s keen green eyes that always seemed to know more than she let on appeared faded and withdrawn, her fingers gripped the sides of the couch as if she were a child waiting for a scolding by her parent.
“What’s going on?” The brunette asked, her lips pressed in a thin line.
“Nothing,” replied Emma holding her arms out and looking around the room. She knew it was a stupid thing to say, especially to Regina- but she just can’t find the energy to really care.
“Obviously, but I meant,” she poked the blonde on her forehead, “up here. What’s going on?”
“Regina…” she sighed rubbing her forehead as she folded her legs underneath herself and pulled her blanket onto her lap, “I just want a break. That’s all, I swear.”
“A break?” Responded the brunette flatly, her eyes looking so intensely into Emma’s that it almost unnerves her.
She and Regina had been getting a long for years and now, she would almost consider her a best friend if she were honest with herself- but she rarely is when it comes to the subject of Regina Mills. Years ago she would have been unnerved under this particular gaze from the former Mayor, but after years of being around her, Emma knows it’s simply the look Regina reserves for when she notices something is wrong with a person she cares about. A warmth grows in her chest at the thought, but she pushes it away quickly realizing she hasn’t answered Regina’s question and has just been staring off into nowhere.
“A break, yeah,” she sighed running a hand through her hair, “I’m just tired. Tired of doing it all, ya know? Every week there’s some new monster or super villain and it’s just life or death life or death life or death over and over and I always come out of it with bruises, cuts, broken bones- and all I get is a pat on the back before I’m patched up and pushed back out to face the next town crisis.”
Regina lets her words hang in the air, she’s looking at her like she has a million things to say, but is being patient- waiting in case there’s anything else Emma has to say before she leans into the inevitable verbal onslaught.
“What do you want Emma?” Asked the brunette plainly, “A hope speech? Tough love?”
“Ice cream,” replied the blonde with a small smile.
“What kind?” Asked the former mayor without missing a beat.
“Peanut Butter Chocolate.”
And with a wave of Regina’s hand, a carton of Peanut Butter Chocolate ice cream pops into existence and is handed to one extremely surprised Emma without a word.
“Oh wow,” said Emma looking down at the carton in her hands, “you uh… wanna join me…” she starts, but by the time her eyes flick back up to Regina, she sees the brunette has already changed from her skirt and blouse into black sweatpants and Henry’s old Storybrooke High School sweatshirt.
“Scoot over, Swan,” said the Mayor prodding Emma’s right side before sinking into the couch cushions with a sigh, “Anything good on?”
“Twilight Zone marathon.”
“Excellent,” said the brunette as she whipped a couple spoons out of thin air and hands one to Emma.
………
Mary Margaret knew she shouldn’t invade her daughter’s privacy, but she couldn’t help the worry that flooded through her when the dwarves interrupted her camping trip with David to tell her that her daughter was missing. Using her spare key, she unlocked the door to the loft and cracked it open cautiously to find her daughter and the mayor passed out on the couch while some infomercial about bent carrots sounded from the tv. She quietly entered the room and slowly approached the couch until she was close enough she could really look at her daughter’s face.
It was the first time in years she’d seen Emma so completely unguarded and it struck her just how exhausted the blonde looked. Dark circles and weary lines formed around her eyes as her neck bent in an awkward position. Just as she leaned back she caught two brown eyes giving her a piercing glare- like a lioness daring a hyena to get closer. Regina watched her carefully, her gaze shifted to Emma’s sleeping from back to Snow and she raised her eyebrows and jerked her head towards the blonde as if to say, “I got this.” Mary Margaret nodded in understanding and slowly backed out of the room with a tiny smile before quietly closing the door behind her.
Emma woke up to the smell of toasted bread and melted cheese. Cracking an eye open she realized she had stretched out along the entirety of the couch- with her eyes still blurry she let her nose lead her as she twisted around on the couch and saw the fuzzy outline of someone in the kitchen.
“Good, I was hoping this would wake you,” came Regina’s voice. Emma rubbed her eyes and what she saw when she greeted her made her mouth water: Regina in her kitchen, in sweats, holding a plate stacked with grilled cheese’s. She rubbed her eyes once more, but Regina was still there only now she was walking towards her with a small smirk, “You slept most of the day and I figured you should at least eat something before it gets too late.”
“Regina Mills feeding me both ice cream and grilled cheese in one day… I’m beginning to think Hell has frozen over.”
“Well dear, since you’ll be getting there first, be sure to send me a postcard to let me know.”
“Oh pffft,” replied Emma playfully pushing Regina’s arm,“I see I slept through the rest of the Twilight Zone marathon…”
“What else do you want to watch?” Regina asked picking up the TV Guide.
“That’s adorable you think we still use those things,” Emma said biting her lip with a grin.
“Why not? They’re practical…” replied the brunette pulling her glasses out, fixing them on her nose.
Emma wasn’t even watching the tv anymore, she was fixated on the woman next to her on the couch. The brunette bombshell that was once the boil on her butt power-walking around in dream-crushing stilettos and designer dresses was sitting cross-legged on her couch wearing old sweatpants and shabby sweatshirt looking at a tv guide with thick black-rimmed glasses perched on the end of her nose. She had never seen the woman more attractive.
“Bridesmaids is coming on in three minutes on channel twenty seven,” Regina announced looking over at Emma who shook her head out of her trance.
“Sounds good,” she replied taking out the remote to flip the channels.
Just then a loud roar echoed from outside as a large, billowing flume of fire shot out into the sky. “If we stick together and believe, we can overcome this!” Came Snow White’s battle-weary voice over the noise. Neither of the women looked up from the television as another loud roar blasted in from the window, Emma simply turned up the volume as they repositioned themselves on the couch and tucked into their dinner.
…………….
Regina woke some time in the night, an infomercial blaring on the tv that made her squint as she reached out for the remote on the coffee table. Shutting the tv off, she laid back down and adjusted what her sleep-filled mind assumed was her pillow before she was overtaken by dreams once again. Emma laid completely frozen. She’d woken up a few minutes ago and hadn’t dared to move when she discovered the tightly-wound Mayor using her ass for a pillow. Not wanting Regina to be embarrassed if she woke up, Emma shifted her hips slightly which caused the brunette to sit upright before reaching to turn off the tv and then laying her head right back down on the blonde’s butt. Emma tried and failed not think about it as she stared out into the dark, quiet room.
She woke up to the smell of bacon. Regina’s eyes cracked up to find herself splayed face-down across the couch without Emma. Sitting up, she looked over the couch to see the blonde moving around the small kitchen putting a couple plates together.
“Good Morning,” Emma said with a smile.
“Mmm…” replied Regina as she got up and shuffled to the bathroom.
Emma smiled at Regina’s half-open eyes and tussled hair as she flipped the bacon over in the pan. When the brunette finally emerged from the bathroom, Emma handed her a mug of coffee before placing the bacon, eggs, and toast on a couple of plates and setting them down on the island in front of the other woman. After a few minutes of eating in silence, Regina cleared her throat and looked up at the blonde, her eyes a little more lucid thanks to the caffeine.
“How are you feeling this morning?” She asked.
“Better,” nodded Emma scooping a mouthful of eggs, “Still pretty tired though. My head just feels… heavy.” The brunette simply nodded as she nibbled on her piece of toast.
Dishes left in the sink, the two women resumed their positions back on the couch. Emma was somewhat surprised to see that Regina was still here and not clawing to get home and take a shower, but she wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth. Her mind felt numb, her body heavy… logically she knew this must be what burnout feels like, but it was a completely new sensation for her and she was happy to have her best friend around while she worked through whatever it was.
“Maury?”
“Yeah,” replied Emma with a small smile, “It’s an American classic.”
“When it comes to five month old Avery… Nathan…. You are… NOT the father!”
“This is barbaric,” said Regina wrinkling her nose.
“This is daytime cinema,” replied Emma with a smile as she burrowed into her blankets.
At some point, the brunette had become so engrossed watching Maury Povich that she hadn’t noticed Emma place her feet on her lap, and she certainly didn’t notice when she had decided to start rubbing the other woman’s socked feet. Late in the morning, the two women were sound asleep again. At some point, Regina had scooted closer to Emma and cuddled into her back, her arms wrapping protectively around the other woman as they slept.
“THEY’RE HERE!!!” Boomed Leroy’s voice through the open window followed by a quick succession of tiny screeches coming from outside causing both women to snap awake and jump apart. Regina sat at attention with a fireball hovering in her hands while Emma shot to her feet- her hands at the ready as she held them stiffly at her sides. Brown eyes met green and after an almost imperceptible nod, Regina walked to the window and slammed it closed, pulling the curtain over it in the process before walking back to the blonde and tugging her hand back down to the couch.
“Go back to sleep,” said the brunette as the blonde laid down on her side.
As Emma pressed her head into the pillow willing her heart to slow down, Regina slid in behind her, wrapping her arms around her once again while rubbing soothing circles on the Sheriff’s stomach. She tried not to think too hard about this new development in their friendship, but Emma was grateful for the contact and sighed contentedly before her eyes drooped closed.
……….
“What?!” Regina gasped holding her blanket to her chest.
“Yup,” Emma said with a smirk.
“You mean this whole time?” The brunette breathed out, her eyes large and round with shock.
“Yup,” Emma said taking delight in Regina discovering the plot twist to The Sixth Sense for the first time.
……….
“Would you rather…” said the brunette tapping her chin, “go without indoor plumbing or electricity?”
“Easy,” barked the blonde, “I’d go without indoor plumbing,” she said confidently tossing a popcorn kernel in the air towards her mouth.
“Why?”
“Well, I will shit in a bucket every day if it means I don’t have to go without a heater in the winter or air conditioning in the summer.”
“Crude, but I can’t fault your logic,” replied the Mayor as she poked her hand into the bowl.
“Would you rather… Archie or Whale?” Emma asked mischievously.
“For what?”
“You know,” Emma wiggles her eyebrows up and down causing Regina to gag slightly.
“I don’t want to play anymore,” said the brunette scooting away from Emma on the couch.
“Oh come on,” said the Sheriff tugging Regina’s sleeve back towards her, “It’s all just for fun.”
“No judgement?” Asked Regina skeptically.
“This is a judgement-free zone,” said Emma with a smile.
“Whale,” Regina muffled into a pillow she pressed over her face.
“EEEEEWWWW!” Said Emma scrunching up her face.
“You promised!”
“I’m joking, I’m joking… I would’ve done that with either answer anyway,” laughed the blonde as she rubbed circles on Regina’s back like she’d just been through the most traumatic thing of her life.
“Alright then, dear,” Regina said with a glint in her eye, “Would you rather… Granny or Gold?”
“Granny, easy,” replied the blonde without hesitation, “I bet she’d be fun,” chuckled the blonde before she looked over and saw Regina picking her nails, “No… you… did… not….” She said gaping at the brunette.
“Well, it was a long twenty-eight years under the curse and…”
“NO WAY!” Emma jumped nearly knocking over the bowl of popcorn between them. Her whole mind just imploded as she looked at Regina with new eyes before she saw the mischievous twinkle in the other woman’s eyes, “You’re fucking with me, aren’t you?”
“I’m sorry, I had to,” Regina said cracking up- her head flung back to the head of the couch as she was overcome with laughter.
“I’ll teach you…” joked Emma as she launched herself on top of the Mayor, tickling her sides causing the other woman to howl in laughter, “Do you surrender?” Asked Emma as she laughed.
“Never!” Cried the brunette as tears poured down her cheeks. She couldn’t remember the last time she had laughed this hard, or even the last time someone tickled her- she’d nearly forgotten she was ticklish at all. She struggled to catch her breath as Emma relented, her own laughter dying down as she slowly wiped the tears from Regina’s face. It was then that they realized their faces were barely an inch apart, Emma’s body was pressed entirely on top of Regina’s as their chests moved rapidly up and down.
“Would you rather…” Emma whispered looking down into Regina’s eyes, but she couldn’t manage to get the question out.
She was so close to Regina, what if she just… she barely lowered her head causing their lips to almost brush. Regina quickly inhaled as she looked deeply into the blonde’s searching eyes, both of them waiting for permission until Regina brought her head up slightly causing their lips to barely connect. That was all it took. Fingers tangled in each other’s hair, bodies pressed against one another, the two women let loose completely lost in each other’s embrace.
Pressing her full weight down on the brunette, Emma moaned into the kiss as the other woman’s hands clutched at her back. Regina was lost in a curtain of blonde hair and hot kisses as she ran her hands up and down the Sheriff’s back. She’d wanted this for so long and it was finally here, Emma was finally here. She whimpered as the blonde pushed her tongue into her mouth- her hand trailing down the woman’s side before slipping under Regina’s sweatshirt. The Mayor responded by sliding her hand down Emma’s back and grabbing a fistful of her ass causing the blonde to moan into her mouth as her hand moved up towards the other woman’s breasts.
Suddenly the sound of smashing glass caused the two women to jump apart. Emma rolled onto her feet as Regina surged upward with a fireball in hand to see a baby Chimera on the floor in front of them. The brunette stalked forward picking up the small creature with one hand as she leaned out the broken window and yelled down at the dwarves, “Is this yours?!” The men stopped mid-battle to see the former Evil Queen leaning out of the window with a thrashing baby chimera in her hands.
“Here,” called a blood-soaked Snow White from the ground, “Sorry,” she said opening her arms wide to catch the creature.
Waving her hand across the window, the glass snapped back into place and the curtain closed once again before Regina turned around to see Emma standing a few feet behind her. A strange smile spread across the Sheriff’s lips as she looked at the Mayor making the brunette oddly self-conscious.
“Would you rather…” began the blonde, “continue what we were just doing or watch tv?”
Regina looked into the light in Emma’s eyes and responded by closing the distance between them. Wrapping her arms around the blonde she smiled as they pressed their lips together and stumbled backwards onto the couch.