My Happily Ever After- Teaser
“...You are my happily ever after, Emma Swan.”
The curse was broken.
After the storm of raging, destroying magic had finally passed, the two women remained clinging tightly to one another, afraid to move until well after the cyclone had ceased, leaving them, together, alone in the throne room of a castle. The Queen's castle.
Everything had changed, and nothing had.
Slowly, Emma released the other woman and looked down at herself, spreading her arms apart and pulling a face at how she was dressed. “A knight in shining armor? Really?” She creaked a bit when she moved- the armor new and not yet broken in.
Looking uncertain, the dark-haired woman swallowed a little roughly, and shook her head, disoriented and more than a little shaken. But the corners of her mouth raised in a small smile at the almost disgusted look on Emma's face. “No.” She reached out as if to touch the blonde, but stopped, and her hand fell to her side. “It's leather- hardly shining. ...You're the White Knight.”
Emma looked back at her, cracking a wry smile. “Destined to save the kingdom from the Evil Queen?” She grinned, and moved back to her love, letting her eyes take in her changes as well.
“...I'm glad you find it amusing,” the dark-haired woman whispered in reply, and studied the floor quite intensely. “This is who you are. ...Who you were always meant to be.”
Keeping silent, the blonde raised her hand to cup her lover's chin, forcing her to look her eyes. “And... this... this is you, huh?” Releasing her, she stepped back, walking around her in a small circle to take everything in.
Though the queen kept her eyes on the knight...Emma... for as long as she could, she remained stock still otherwise, allowing the other woman to circle her. “...It is,” she said simply, and waited.
Emma sighed, and stopped in front of her again, and then reached a hand out, curious, to touch the lace on her brow. “Well... uh... it's... different.”
The queen tried to smile, but inside her chest, her heart was pounding so loudly she could barely hear herself think. She allowed Emma's curious touches without indulging in her own, though she desperately wanted to, if only to prove that this Emma, too, was real. “Bad?” She managed to keep her voice from being merely a squeak, and considered it a win.
Remaining silent for a long moment, Emma's hand continued to move over the lace of her headdress, and then trailed down, caressing her hair. The Queen bit her lip to suppress the moan she knew would escape otherwise.
“No,” said the blonde finally, and smiled. “I like your hair this way.”
Breathing out a shaking, shuddering breath she didn't know she'd been holding, the Queen closed her eyes to prevent the tears that were threatening, and turned her face away, unable to look at her anymore. “I'm glad,” she whispered quietly, and not even biting her lip could prevent the end from sounding a sob.
Emma's brow furrowed, and, still moving a little awkwardly in her armor, she reached froward, folding her arms around the other woman. “Hey,” she soothed. “It'll be okay.” A gaunteleted hand reached out to caress her cheek, lightly raising her face to hers again. “However the hell you look, and whatever you're called here, you're still Regina. My Regina.” Her thumb slid lightly down her cheek, brushing away the falling tears. “It'll take far more than just a broken curse to take that away.”
Brown eyes opened again, still brimming with tears, and the Queen promptly lost it. She sunk into Emma's arms, grasping her tightly like she would never, ever let her go, and shook with her sobs. “...I wish it were that simple,” she breathed quietly. “Emma... there are things I've done... things worse than just the curse.”
“We'll get through it,” the knight answered calmly, and held her. “That was a lifetime ago.”
In the long moment of silence that followed, the only sounds were those of their breathing. Emma's- sure and steady and confident. The Queen's- labored and still trying to keep back the sobs. Finally, she cleared her throat, and took another breath to gather her courage. Tear-stained brown eyes glanced back up to meet those of the knight.
“...No, it wasn't.”
The curse was broken.
After the storm of raging, destroying magic had finally passed, the two women remained clinging tightly to one another, afraid to move until well after the cyclone had ceased, leaving them, together, alone in the throne room of a castle. The Queen's castle.
Everything had changed, and nothing had.
Slowly, Emma released the other woman and looked down at herself, spreading her arms apart and pulling a face at how she was dressed. “A knight in shining armor? Really?” She creaked a bit when she moved- the armor new and not yet broken in.
Looking uncertain, the dark-haired woman swallowed a little roughly, and shook her head, disoriented and more than a little shaken. But the corners of her mouth raised in a small smile at the almost disgusted look on Emma's face. “No.” She reached out as if to touch the blonde, but stopped, and her hand fell to her side. “It's leather- hardly shining. ...You're the White Knight.”
Emma looked back at her, cracking a wry smile. “Destined to save the kingdom from the Evil Queen?” She grinned, and moved back to her love, letting her eyes take in her changes as well.
“...I'm glad you find it amusing,” the dark-haired woman whispered in reply, and studied the floor quite intensely. “This is who you are. ...Who you were always meant to be.”
Keeping silent, the blonde raised her hand to cup her lover's chin, forcing her to look her eyes. “And... this... this is you, huh?” Releasing her, she stepped back, walking around her in a small circle to take everything in.
Though the queen kept her eyes on the knight...Emma... for as long as she could, she remained stock still otherwise, allowing the other woman to circle her. “...It is,” she said simply, and waited.
Emma sighed, and stopped in front of her again, and then reached a hand out, curious, to touch the lace on her brow. “Well... uh... it's... different.”
The queen tried to smile, but inside her chest, her heart was pounding so loudly she could barely hear herself think. She allowed Emma's curious touches without indulging in her own, though she desperately wanted to, if only to prove that this Emma, too, was real. “Bad?” She managed to keep her voice from being merely a squeak, and considered it a win.
Remaining silent for a long moment, Emma's hand continued to move over the lace of her headdress, and then trailed down, caressing her hair. The Queen bit her lip to suppress the moan she knew would escape otherwise.
“No,” said the blonde finally, and smiled. “I like your hair this way.”
Breathing out a shaking, shuddering breath she didn't know she'd been holding, the Queen closed her eyes to prevent the tears that were threatening, and turned her face away, unable to look at her anymore. “I'm glad,” she whispered quietly, and not even biting her lip could prevent the end from sounding a sob.
Emma's brow furrowed, and, still moving a little awkwardly in her armor, she reached froward, folding her arms around the other woman. “Hey,” she soothed. “It'll be okay.” A gaunteleted hand reached out to caress her cheek, lightly raising her face to hers again. “However the hell you look, and whatever you're called here, you're still Regina. My Regina.” Her thumb slid lightly down her cheek, brushing away the falling tears. “It'll take far more than just a broken curse to take that away.”
Brown eyes opened again, still brimming with tears, and the Queen promptly lost it. She sunk into Emma's arms, grasping her tightly like she would never, ever let her go, and shook with her sobs. “...I wish it were that simple,” she breathed quietly. “Emma... there are things I've done... things worse than just the curse.”
“We'll get through it,” the knight answered calmly, and held her. “That was a lifetime ago.”
In the long moment of silence that followed, the only sounds were those of their breathing. Emma's- sure and steady and confident. The Queen's- labored and still trying to keep back the sobs. Finally, she cleared her throat, and took another breath to gather her courage. Tear-stained brown eyes glanced back up to meet those of the knight.
“...No, it wasn't.”