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SPOILERS: Season 1 episode 5
Thin Lines
By Crabwise_Son
"I think you promised me a drink." Emma says before the mayor can speak, taking off her jacket and sitting on the couch, arm resting lazily atop of it in contrast to the other woman who stands, her expression as minimalist as the room they've entered.
"Cider is fine?"
"Cider is great."
"A toast." she raises her glass, "To your upcoming resignation."
Emma rolls her eyes, "Yeah whatever, cheers."
Regina looks at the emptied drink and feels relief wash over her. It's an unprecedented emotion at such a simple act and yet she feels it change her, heartbeat pounding in her ears so she nearly misses when Emma starts talking about Henry and her refusal to leave town until she's sure he's safe.
"You should've never came here."
"How can you say that and still mean it? It's like you're some kind of-"
The sheet looks redder against her skin, like roses and apples. Like blood.
"Evil queen?"
Emma laughs shortly, a dozen flippant responses hanging in the space between bed and chair. But she can't because it had meant something when they kissed, when words became movement and suddenly they were proving their points with nails in skin and Regina's back against the wall. A manipulation with neither giving or taking but greeting one another head to head. It was a battle until it wasn't. Until Emma mouthed 'what are we doing?' against her mouth and Regina flinched and pulled away. Her face was pulled into one of horror as if there was a spell and Emma had broken it in all the wrong ways which was ridiculous but exactly how it felt. But the moment passed and Regina had lied 'Nothing' like she needed it to be true.
Emma gives people what they want. She hops over fences, lures married men into blind dates and learns enough Mandarin in three days to talk her way into seedy bars so she can show up at a door with the perp in hand as proof that she can follow through, that she can get it right.
She gives Regina what she wants, pretends not to feel anything when the moon shining through the drapes makes the dark room just light enough for her to see Regina smile when Emma, swearing, pulls away to shove the endless pile of blankets and pillows to the floor and toss her shirt aside like she's about to leap into open water.
She leans forward, fingers combing into her hair, not hearing the whisper of Emma's feet on the carpet, "It can't work."
"Why not?"
"Because." she doesn't have to look up to know that Emma is kneeling before her, wearing only the sheet and a smirk.
"Why? You hate me on sight, a few antics later we wind up in bed together, I mean if we're going to do this cliché we should do it right and fall in-"
"Don't."
Emma's smile falters, her hand moving up Regina's calf, stroking it lightly, "Why can't it work?"
Regina looks up, "Because Henry is right."
Emma closes her eyes, holding onto Regina's leg to keep herself steady in a quickly darkening room,
"How does it end?"
Regina leans forward, lips at Emma's ear with a glint in her eyes but sorrow in her voice, "It already has."
"Ironic." she whispers as they wheel the comatose Swan into the room while David and Mary watch on.
The End