Work Text:
December 5th
Emma eyed the Hornby Hogwarts Express Train Set as if she were seeing it for the first time in her life. She stood hunched forward, as her green eyes scanned every intricate detail of the encased model.
This would have been everything she ever dreamed of as a child. She could just imagine a smaller version of herself waking up in a warm bed and running downstairs to loads of Christmas gifts under a huge tree with her name on them. And this, this beauty of a toy would've been her prized possession.
Emma always garnered a fascination for trains, they were always her chosen route of escape had she ever summoned the courage to run away from foster care as a kid... But, needless to say, she stayed in the system until she was old enough to attend Uni.
She brought a gloved hand up to the glass and held it there. It was a wonder this beauty was out on display in the first place. Trains weren't exactly at the top of the toy list for the modern child.
But maybe it was put there for her to catch a glimpse of it as she strolled through the mall.
A lopsided grin ghosted across her lips as she eyed the toy. She was an adult now, but the child in her begged for a moment of understanding. Begged for her to get the train and revel in the fact that she could give herself everything she was robbed of when she was younger.
She sighed and contemplated the idea, wondering what she'd do with a train now. Surely, she wouldn't sit on the floor come Christmas day with freshly baked cookies and milk wearing a conductor’s hat with her newly bought train... Would she?
Of course, she would. What else did she have?
Emma waved down an employee, approaching him with glee in her eyes. "I'd like to purchase the Harry Potter Hornby train set you have on display." She pointed to the train as if there were multiple setups.
"Nice choice." He smiled. "That’s going to be one lucky kid come Christmas day. I believe that’s our last set." Emma stood smiling as she clutched her purse.
"Yea, I can't wait to give it to her." She said proudly before the man walked off into the back of the store. Emma waited a few seconds before she found herself back in front of the train set, gazing at it with a renewed awe.
This beauty was going to be hers.
She would finally get to live out one of her dearest childhood dreams.
"I think you'll need change. Train sets don't operate on sheer willpower you know?"
Emma jolted, jerking her eyes toward the newcomer. The woman had shoulder length brown hair and she wore black gloves with a grey overcoat.
She smiled at Emma before reaching into her purse and pulling out 50 cents to feed to the machine. Before Emma could comment, though, the train came to life, chugging along the tracks slowly.
She felt her cheeks grow warm with embarrassment, but the other woman had her brown eyes fixed on the train as well. She stood beside Emma and they both watched as the toy moved around and around as if they were watching a movie they'd never seen before.
"Do you know much about trains?"
Emma glanced at the woman from the corner of her eye and nodded. "Probably too much." She breathed.
The woman shifted slightly, letting out a chuckle and Emma got a good whiff of cinnamon. She couldn't make out if it was her perfume or shampoo, but Emma liked it... A lot.
"My daughter wrote to Santa asking for a train set for Christmas. And of all the things she could possibly ask for, she went for the most dated toy she could think of. Would you believe that this is the only toy store in Manhattan that’s even selling them this Christmas?"
"Dated?" Emma said in mock offense. "I'll have you know, that your daughter probably has the best taste in toys a child could possibly have... I really wanted a train set when I was a young girl." She said it more wistfully than she had meant to, and the other woman was smiling at her thoughtfully.
Emma turned her gaze back on the moving train to avoid the staring contest. "How old is she?"
"Seven." The woman answered before pulling out her cell phone and showing Emma. Green eyes scanned the lock screen, taking note of how cute the little girl was. "This was the first time she ever rode on a train. She annoyed the staff so much, that they let her meet the conductor."
Bright hazel eyes stared gleefully at Emma from the screen, the girl smiled as she held her hands on the oversized conductor's hat. "Cute." Emma smiled. "What's her name?"
"Naomi." The woman said before pocketing her phone and extending her hand. "And I'm Regina." She smiled brightly and Emma immediately knew where the little girl got her smile from.
"My name is Emma, and it's nice to meet you." They shook hands and the blonde didn't know what to make of their encounter, but it wasn't exactly unwelcomed.
"I like that name." Regina said simply. "So, who are you getting this set for? Do you have any kids?"
"No." She shook her head and felt the embarrassment of her situation creep up on her. She couldn't actually tell Regina that she was buying this train for herself so that she could live out some dumb childhood fantasy.
"Then who? A niece a nephew?"
"A-"
"And here we are Miss." The salesman cut in. He was equipped with a boxed train set in hand. "I can take it to the counter for wrapping while you continue to shop if you would like that."
"Uh..." Emma glanced towards Regina and then back to the salesman. "Sure. I'll come pay in a moment."
He scurried off, taking Emma's brand-new train with him, and leaving the blonde with her newfound cohort.
"I apologise for prying. I guess the holiday season makes me a bit overzealous." The brunette smiled kindly and Emma sort of... felt her knees go weak- slightly.
"I'm buying it for myself." She blurted out just as Regina was turning away from her.
"Oh?"
"I- I never got one as a kid, and it was all I ever wanted... I just thought I'd finally grant my own Christmas wish, since no one else ever did." She was kicking herself at how pathetic she must look and sound right now, and what was the purpose of her disclosing this information to Regina in the first place?
They didn't even know one another.
"That's..."
"Stupid? Yea, I kn-"
"Sweet. I was going to say that's a very sweet thing to do for yourself, Emma." She smiled and placed a delicate hand on Emma's bicep before she gave it a reassuring squeeze. "It was very nice meeting you, and I hope this Christmas is the best one yet."
Emma bit her bottom lip as she watched Regina walk away to engage with an employee. She nodded to herself feeling a warmth that she couldn't quite place. It was such a foreign feeling... But she liked it.
The blonde made her way over to the register, hearing Regina ask for the same train set to purchase on her way over. It didn't dawn on her that she was purchasing the last set until after Regina's salesperson came from the back with a disappointed look on her face.
"Which gift was yours, Ma'am?"
Emma tried to get a glimpse of Regina, but she'd lost her. "Uh, the train set." She said snapping her attention back to the register.
"Okay, and who would you like it to be addressed to?"
Emma hesitated for a moment. "Um." She could see a seven-year-old girl disappointed on Christmas day. Whether her eyes were green or hazel or her hair was blonde, or brown didn't make much of a difference. She could imagine the disappointment vividly. Emma sighed and glanced around the store again, trying to locate Regina.
She caught a glimpse of the brown haired woman scanning the doll section and Emma knew what she had to do. "Can you make it out to Naomi? And sign it from Santa?" Emma flashed a tight-lipped smile.
Of course, she was happy to do this. The holidays weren't about gifts anyway. It was about kindness and this was simply an act of kindness... Hopefully she'd make a little girl who was just as obsessed with trains as Emma was, very, very happy.
"Of course." The clerk smiled and Emma paid without taking the gift.
"When that lady..." Emma turned to point at Regina who now had a few toys in her hand. "Comes to pay, please give her the train set."
The clerk smiled at Emma kindly and thanked her profusely for being so sweet. The blonde gave one last smile in return and left the store without making eye contact with anyone else.
She strode over to the food court with the idea to grab an ice-cream cone. She ordered vanilla and waited at her two-seat table by herself. Not that it was any different from the rest of her year, but around Christmas time, specifically, Emma tended to feel more lonely than usual.
No family, no friends, no significant other to spend her holidays with. Not even a person for her to eat ice-cream with. She hated throwing pity parties for herself, but one was due every once in a while, and it was about time for one now.
"Your ice-cream." Emma smiled but then frowned at the concoction placed in front of her.
"I didn't order this." She said.
"Looks like someone was put on Santa's nice list then." The girl smiled before she left and took her place behind the counter.
Emma sat staring, confused, at the banana split sundae in front of her.
"You look like you could use some help eating that." Regina waltzed up to her table holding a very familiar looking wrapped present addressed to her daughter. She placed the gift to the side of them and sat adjacent to Emma.
"You're unbelievable." She said in soft astonishment. She stared at Emma so warmly that the blonde found herself blushing.
"What do you mean?"
Regina let out something between a scoff and a giggle as she tilted her head thoughtfully. "I can't believe you're giving up your Christmas wish for my daughter."
"Well, it was your fault really. You can't just show me a picture of a kid that cute in a conductor's hat, tell me about her love for trains, and then expect me not to act on it."
Regina seemed to contemplate that and her smile turned into something... different. And she stared at Emma as if she were trying to figure her out. "What about your Christmas wish?"
"Uh, there's always next Christmas."
Regina nodded and glanced to the sundae between them before gazing into Emma's eyes again. "Yea, but what about this Christmas?"
"Regina, I'll be fine. I assure you. I've lived 28 years on this Earth without ever having owned a train set, and I'm sure I can make it to 29 doing the same." Emma felt awkward as Regina sat across from her.
How could a stranger look at her like that?
Like she knew Emma... or wanted to know Emma.
"How can I thank you?" She finally asked.
"I'm assuming you already have." Emma said just before she ate a spoonful of her sundae.
"Don't be silly. This was nothing. Really... What can I do for you to show you my gratitude?" Regina searched Emma's eyes so carefully that Emma herself felt like just being in her presence was payment enough.
"I don't- I mean, there's nothing..."
"Let me take you to dinner tomorrow." She insisted. "That'll give you some time to think about it."
"That's not-"
"Please?"
She was defenceless against that soft plea, and the slight pout Regina directed at her. "O-okay... Tomorrow night."
Regina smiled and jotted down her details, and Emma watched her.
A small hopeless smile spread across her lips.
X
December 6th
Santa Baby slip a sable under the tree for me been an awful good girl. Santa baby, and hurry down the chimney tonight.
Blonde waves spilled over her red scarf like a cascading river. She hadn't exactly dressed up for the occasion. Regina did tell her, after all, to come in casual clothes, but the host was dressed in a suit and had a British accent... If this was Regina's idea of casual, then Emma didn't really want to know what kind of place the woman would dress up for.
It didn't get any better as she was escorted to their table. There were chandeliers, dim lighting, Christmas themed candles at every table- it was oddly romantic.
They rounded the corner into the very back section of the restaurant. Regina sat with her nose buried in her phone. She was unaware that Emma had arrived, and the blonde was thankful for that.
Emma had to catch her breath at how stunning Regina looked. She'd gotten all dressed up just to meet Emma, she picked out this place and booked a private section for them... Emma was swooning- hard.
"Madam." The host motioned for Emma to sit as he pulled out her seat. Regina quickly tucked her phone away and slightly leaned forward in her seat.
"Wow." Emma said when the man had left the two to themselves. "You look amazing, and this place- wow, Regina you really shouldn't have."
Regina smirked and gave her a wink. "This is the least I could do for my Christmas saviour."
"Saviour? That's high praise for someone who didn't even do anything."
"You don't give yourself enough credit."
"Well you're giving me too much credit." She retorted.
"I think you deserve it."
"And what makes you think that?"
Regina shrugged her left shoulder, leaning her head to the side, as she focused on the way Emma tucked her hair behind her ear. "Because you were so kind to me when you'd only just met me, and you've already given my daughter a better Christmas than I'll give her this year and you don't even know her."
Emma bit her bottom lip in contemplation, as she let those words resonate. Regina had made it so easy to be kind to her. She had a certain warmth about her.
"Speaking of, have you thought of anyway I could repay you for the gift?"
"I have actually." Emma laughed at the way Regina perked up.
"And?"
"And I've concluded that dinner is enough. Really, this is the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me. Thank you."
Regina’s interest looked piqued before she glanced down and then delicately placed her hand atop of Emma's. "This can't be the sweetest thing that someone has ever done for you. I don't believe it." She said stubbornly.
Emma looked down at their joined hands and took notice to the softness of Regina's skin on hers. "Believe it." She confirmed.
Regina paused and then gave Emma's hand a squeeze when she dared to look away. "Then that's a shame." She breathed. "Because this isn't much at all."
The blonde looked around and nodded. "This is more than I give to myself."
"I know." Emma sent a questioning gaze, but Regina was answering her before she could voice anything. "Because you're too busy being kind to strangers in the mall to think of yourself. You should let someone be kind to you for a change."
Emma felt something in her chest flutter at the way Regina was trying to communicate to her. How she maintained eye contact, and leaned forward like sitting across the table was just too far for her... As if she wanted to be closer to Emma.
But of course, these were the thoughts of a person who was very lonely during the holiday season. Regina wasn't- this woman was here because Emma had done something nice for her. The blonde had to remind herself of that, and to not imagine any more romantic undertones.
Their waitress came and went, leaving them in their own little bubble again. "So, tell me about yourself." Regina prompted.
"What do you want to know?"
"I don't know... Something like- where did you grow up? What were your parents like? Why do you like trains so much?"
Emma's eyebrows rose as she let out a nervous sigh. She didn't have an easy past. It was very, very complicated and it wasn't exactly something she necessarily wanted to talk about right now... at their nice dinner.
"I’m originally from a small town in Maine called Storybrooke." She could start off easy. "It's a shit place, honestly. I have no good memories from there."
"Surely there must be something."
Emma's eyes found the ceiling as she thought. She'd spent 18 years there and trying to think of one good thing was nearly impossible. Until a little old lady came into the forefront of her mind. "Well, I guess there was one good thing."
"Do tell."
"Alright, when I was a kid, I used to get into a lot of trouble. I would steal things and I almost always got caught. But there was this diner in town called Granny's Diner, and it was owned by a lady that always told me to call her Granny. Well, she would always make me food when I showed up there looking hungry, and she’d defend me every time I got into any trouble... She was probably the best memory I have from that town."
Regina nodded but her eyebrows were furrowed. "What was your living situation?"
Emma gulped and let out a sigh as she pulled her hand away from Regina's. There was an instant coolness that spread over her as she tried to distance herself. "I was left on the side of the road as a baby, and I spent my entire life in foster care." The blonde averted her gaze. She didn't want to see the look of pity on Regina's face. She didn't need it.
"That’s a pretty shitty hand to be dealt... But it looks like you've made lemonade out of lemons. Emma..." Regina waited for green eyes to meet her gaze and she flashed a dazzling smile once they found her. "That’s something to be proud of... I'm proud of you for that."
"But you barely even know me."
"I'm getting to know you, and I'm proud to be doing so. You're a lovely person."
Right, she shouldn't be swooning like this. It was the combination of romantic Christmas music and the candlelight... And the way Regina regarded her as if she was the most precious thing in the room.
"What about you? What was life like for you growing up?" She tried to shake those intrusive thoughts.
Regina inhaled and leaned back in her seat. "I’m just your average run of the mill... Mills, I guess. My last name is Mills." She supplied when Emma looked confused. "I was born and raised in upper Manhattan, so you could probably guess that my family is wealthy. But we're less than perfect. My mother wanted a prodigy, not a daughter. She was always hard on me, pushing me to be better than I deemed necessary. She was even cruel sometimes. But my father was always my saving grace. Him and I were best friends when I was growing up, and now him and Naomi share a similar bond. It's really sweet."
"Do you talk to your mom now?"
"Yea, she really loves Naomi, but her and I will always have a strained relationship at best, I think."
Emma nodded in understanding and they were briefly interrupted by their meals being placed in front of them.
Emma looked down with delight as her food landed gently on the table and Regina bit her bottom lip as she stared at Emma in turn.
"Would you like to meet Naomi at some point?" Regina asked, catching Emma completely off guard. The blonde studied the ethereal woman sitting in front of her for two beats before she nodded her head with a timid smile.
"I'd love to meet her."
Regina smiled in turn, letting her eyes linger on Emma in a way that made the blonde's pulse quicken. It was an electric gaze the brunette sent her way, almost as if she'd rather be eating something other than her food.
But it passed all too quickly as a genuine smile spread across Regina's lips, and she began to speak again, steering the conversation in directions that would lead her to find out so many things about Emma.
They chatted jovially as they ate, and Emma learned two things that evening.
- Apparently, she was funny. And...
- She'd do just about anything to hear Regina's laugh again.
X
December 13th
Emma packed her paperwork into her briefcase and exited her office. Her Christmas vacation was finally starting, and it couldn't have come at a better time. She loved her job, really, she did, but the influx of seasonally depressed patients was starting to affect her negatively.
So, she was nearly bouncing out of the door on her last day. "Bye Karen, happy holidays."
"Enjoy your holiday Doctor Swan."
Emma smiled, pushing through the doors and stepping out into the snow. She could hear jingle bells playing in the distance as laughter travelled through the air. Around this time, just as the sun was setting, the Christmas lights hung around the city began to turn on.
It made her feel light, so light that she felt like she was floating. She took a moment to let the snowflakes fall on her face and basked in its coolness.
"You're really cute, you know?"
Emma spun around, never dropping her smile and met Regina half way. "Am I? Tell me more?"
Regina laughed and Emma felt hopeless as she stared at her friend. "We'd be stood here forever if I added more things to the list." She moved closer and dusted a few snowflakes from Emma's hair. "And you wouldn't be able to meet Naomi if we never leave this spot."
Regina was standing so close to her, Emma could nearly feel her warmth. Or maybe she was imagining it, because Regina side stepped her, seemingly unaffected and motioned for her friend to catch up.
They walked over to the park and found themselves at the ice-skating rink. Regina sidled up and searched the crowd of skaters before she happily pointed to a middle-aged man holding the hand of a very petite girl.
Naomi was just as cute in person as she was in the photos Regina showed her. "That's them." Regina said as she looked to Emma as if she were waiting for her approval.
"I could've guessed. Naomi looks exactly like you, only with lighter eyes and you look exactly like your father... Only, you’re a woman."
"Gee thanks, Em. You sure know how to make a girl feel pretty."
Em- Emma had never had a nickname before, her name was already short. No one ever bothered to shorten it further. "Em?" But she liked the way Regina said it. She liked how it sounded so endearing.
Henry and Naomi skated over to the side-lines and greeted Regina with hugs and kisses and Emma watched them feeling slightly out of place. "Daddy, this is Emma, my friend I've been telling you about, and Emma this is my father, Henry."
Henry smiled broadly as Emma extended her hand. He took the offended object and pulled Emma closer into a warm embrace. She hesitated for a moment before returning the hug, but when she did, she nearly melted in his embrace.
Emma didn't need to know him to understand why Regina loved her father so much. He radiated the same kind of warmth Regina did herself. "It's so nice to finally meet you." Henry said as he gave Emma slight squeeze before releasing her.
"You as well." She smiled politely.
"And Emma," Regina placed a hand on Emma's arm and motioned towards her daughter. "This is Naomi. Naomi, this is my friend Emma."
Naomi smiled brightly but didn't offer Emma a hug like her grandfather had. "You're really pretty Emma." She said instead.
Emma chuckled but felt herself blushing anyway. "I see you've passed your charm down to your daughter."
Regina smiled proudly and high-fived Naomi while she nodded. "She's got great taste." Regina shrugged.
"We have ten more minutes on the ice. You two go relax, and Naomi and I will come find you when we're done, yea?" Henry chimed.
"Sounds good dad. Come on Em." Regina looped her arm through Emma's arm and guided the blonde away from the arena. "So, what do you think?"
Emma was smiling already as Regina leaned into her. She wanted to get swept away in the moment, wanted desperately to reach up and tuck Regina's hair behind her ear... But there had been a question weighing on Emma's mind lately.
"Where is Naomi's dad in all of this?"
"Oh..." Regina laid her head on Emma's shoulder as they walked. She hugged the blonde's arm close to her body. "He died in a motorcycle accident before Naomi was born. She never got a chance to meet him."
"I'm sorry..." Emma said, turning her head so that she could try to catch a glimpse of Regina. But the brunette turned further inward, burrying half of her face into the blonde's shoulder.
"Me too, mostly for Naomi. I don't know what I would have done growing up without my father."
"I'm glad she has Henry."
Emma could feel Regina's smile against her, and she felt content in this moment. She felt warm even though the temperature was slightly below freezing.
X
December 16th
"Mom, can I introduce Emma to Dart?" It was useless to ask as Naomi was already guiding Emma upstairs toward her room.
The blonde did manage to flash a confused look towards Regina only for her to mouth 'she likes you' in response.
"I'll start on dinner." Regina called. "Naomi, don't keep Dart out for too long."
"Okay."
She yelled back and then turned to Emma with a huge smile in place. "Dart is my Rankin Dragon. He's really cool."
Naomi ploughed into her room and led Emma over to the glass enclosure. Emma leant down and saw a tiny bearded dragon sat under a heat lamp with his eyes closed.
"That's how he relaxes... Maybe we shouldn't take him out since he's sleeping."
"Maybe not, but he is really cool and I'm glad I get to see him."
"Me too." The small girl went over to her closet and pulled out a plush basketball. "Hey Emma, think fast." She threw the stuffed ball as fast as she could, and Emma caught it without flinching. "You're good at that."
"Do you play any sports?"
"I play soccer." Naomi chimed as she flopped down on her bed. "And I used to play basketball, but it stopped being fun."
"Oh? How come?"
"I'm just really bad at it." Naomi giggled causing Emma to let out an amused scoff. "Hey, Emma?"
"Yea kid?"
"I didn't really bring you up here to meet Dart."
"No?"
She shook her head. "I wanted to ask if you could help me get my mom a Christmas gift? I figured since you two are friends now, you'd be able to help me best. She never brings anyone over so you must be special."
Emma opened her mouth only to clamp it shut again. She didn't mind helping at all... She just hadn't expected to be Regina's only friend. It just seemed... Impossible.
"I'd love to."
X
December 19th
Emma sat with Naomi cradled in her lap. The young girl was fast asleep with her head rested on Emma's chest as she dreamed. Emma was in the middle of reading Lily and the Moon before Naomi dozed off. But now that the blonde was finished with the story she found herself slightly smitten with the small body nuzzled so comfortably against hers.
She never thought of having kids before this moment. But there were a few fleeting thoughts telling her that she really loved this.
She'd grown comfortably attached to Regina and Naomi, and she knew she needed to pull herself away somehow. She knew that she was falling and there was no catching herself at this rate.
"Precious." Emma looked up just in time to see Regina standing in the doorway with her phone pointed towards them.
"Hey." She protested. "I wasn't ready for that photo."
"Candid is the best." She said before pocketing her phone and carefully shifting her daughter off of Emma and onto her bed.
"Do you want to come sit with me downstairs for a bit?"
"Of course." Emma said in a hushed tone.
Regina smiled warmly and led Emma back downstairs. "I can't believe she wanted you to read her bedtime stories over me. You're just charming all of the Mills women." Regina handed her a warm cup of eggnog before sidling up beside her and rested her head on her shoulder.
Emma felt lightheaded from the proximity. They'd spent so much time together and her feelings had only grown. "The Mills women seem to have the same effect on me, if that makes things any better."
The brunette lifted her head and stared at Emma as if she wanted to devour her. "Really?"
Emma only dry swallowed, as she hid behind sips of her eggnog, and Regina didn't push her past her comfort zone. She never did.
"What are you doing on Christmas day?"
"I hadn't thought about it."
"What do you mean? Christmas is in less than a week?"
"I just hadn't thought about it." Emma shrugged... Because she didn't want to think of spending Christmas alone- again. She didn't want to think of how she'd miss Regina and Naomi and long to be near them. So, she avoided the thought of Christmas at all costs.
"Well Naomi and I have been wondering if you'd want to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas day with us?" She looked nervous and Emma couldn't fathom why.
"I was hoping you'd ask." She said quietly cradling her cup. There were no words to describe the way her heart filled with warmth as she looked at Regina like she hung the moon.
"It was always the goal, you know?"
And no, Emma hadn't known, but she was glad that it was.
X
December 22nd
Naomi stared, bright eyed, with her face pushed up against the jewellery selection. "Emma, I can't afford any of this."
Of course, she couldn't, and Emma knew that. "How much did you save?"
"I have $30, plus whatever change is in my piggy bank at home."
"At home?" Emma teased. "We can't use the money you have at home." She idly scanned the selection until something caught her eye. It was a beautiful diamond studded necklace that circled around a rose quartz.
Green eyes zoned in on it and she knew immediately that this was the gift for Regina. It was beautiful in the same way that she was, Emma had to. "Trying to convey your love this Christmas?"
"What?" Emma reddened and stared down at Naomi who was looking at her smugly. "N-no, I just thought it was very pretty... Why would you ask that?"
Naomi pointed up to the sign above this particular section of jewellery.
Convey your love with the perfect Rose Quartz.
It stated boldly, and Emma's shoulders sagged. This wasn't how she would tell Regina. Not through a gesture. She wanted to say it... Even if it meant rejection.
"Let's look at something else." Emma mumbled as she scurried away. Naomi stood in place for a moment, staring after Emma and then back to the jewellery collection before she ran to catch up.
"We should get the rose quartz necklace."
The blonde was now scanning the Ruby section, and pointedly not looking down at the mini version of Regina. "It means love." Was all she offered with a very obvious cringe.
"So?" Naomi tugged Emma's hand and urged the blonde to look at her. "Don't you love my mom?"
"Of course, I do. But the meaning is different... There's different ways you can love someone, and the rose quartz represents a romantic love, not the friendship kind." She explained to the doe eyed seven-year-old.
"And you don't love my mom in that way?" She sounded more timid this time, as if she were afraid of the answer, and Emma knew when she stared into those hazel eyes she wouldn't be able to lie.
"Of course I do." She sighed defeated.
"Then we should get the rose quartz." Naomi smiled proudly.
"But your mom, what if she doesn’t-"
"It doesn't matter. We're getting her a gift based on our feelings and love for her, not the other way around. So, all that matters is how you feel... We can say it's from the both of us if you want to make it less weird."
Emma let out something between a scoff and a laugh. She couldn't believe she was taking advice from a little girl. "You think she'll think it's weird?"
"I don't know." Naomi shrugged and led Emma back to the rose quartz. "But I do know she'll love anything that comes from you."
X
Christmas Eve
Emma wringed her fingers together in nervous habit. She wasn't used to being watched so intently. Nor was she used to being around people's parents.
Henry, sure... But Cora, Emma was always nervous to meet her from what Regina told her. But to the older woman's credit, she was actually kind of sweet to Emma.
She avoided Regina, but she had been a pleasure otherwise... That still didn't make Emma feel any less nervous though.
Especially because Regina was being more... physical with her today. They'd all been sitting on the couch when Regina started to stroke Emma's leg. And to Emma's credit, she was able to withstand the soft caress for all of 30 seconds, before Regina's touch began to ignite a fire that burned too hot in her core. So she hastily slid from Regina's reach and mumbled something about going to do the dishes.
However, Regina was unrelenting, the brunette simply followed her into the kitchen, and wrapped her arms around Emma's waist. She laid her head on Emma's back and swayed them to the beat of 'Jingle Bell Rock.'
"I'm so happy you're here." She whispered.
And Emma immediately tensed up. She made up some lame excuse about needing to go to the bathroom and bolted. Regina seemed confused and a tiny bit hurt, but Emma couldn't bring herself to decipher her facial expressions.
Which brought her back to the fact that she was being watched now. Not by Regina, no, she refused to look at her anymore, but by Cora.
Emma thought it was curiosity, but from the way Cora's brown eyes kept darting between Emma and Regina, Emma knew that Cora must've figured out she had upset her daughter in some way.
It made her feel like she was going to vomit. Regina was nice enough to invite her over for these special days and Emma had ruined it.
But how did Regina expect her to just... Not want to turn around and kiss her when she was being like that?
She was making things very hard for Emma.
"Emma, what was it that you do again?" Cora asked after some time of staring at her.
"I'm a Psychologist... I have a private practice downtown."
"Interesting, and do you specialize?"
"Y-yea, I do. I specialize in child psychology. Most of my patients are children who were adopted or are in foster care... And I occasionally will see their parents as well. Both adopted and biological." Emma averted her gaze as Cora studied her. She looked to Regina for safety, but the other woman was sat on the floor, talking to her father as Naomi gave her best attempt at braiding her mother's hair.
"Why aren't you spending Christmas with your family dear?" It wasn't malicious, more so curious than anything.
"Uh... I don't have one." Emma said plainly, and Cora seemed to understand enough about the blonde in that moment.
"Nonsense." Cora dismissed that answer. "Then what are we? A bunch of ghosts?"
Dammit she was tearing up.
X
"I'm sorry." Emma blurted the moment Regina's foot hit the last step. "For running away earlier."
"It's fine." Regina nodded and sat next to Emma. But she was sure to keep a safe distance this time.
Emma looked at the space between them and disregarded it as she hooked her arm around Regina. The brunette stiffened but relaxed soon enough laying her head on Emma's chest. "This is cosy." Regina muttered and she nuzzled closer to Emma.
Emma hummed as she let her eyes drift closed.
"What did you think of my mother?"
"I think she's welcomed me into the family." Emma said smugly.
"You are a part of this family, Emma." Regina muttered as her breathing evened out.
Emma sat stunned, still amazed at the words, and felt Regina nuzzle closer to her while 'Baby it's Cold Outside' played softly in the background.
She tried her best, but the tears came despite her best efforts.
X
Christmas Day
"Merry Christmas, you filthy animals!" Naomi yelled as she bolted down the stairs.
Emma jolted and caused the weight atop of her to shift. It took a moment to realize what was going on, but memories of last night came flooding her memory soon enough.
They'd fallen asleep cuddled on the couch and Regina was still snoozing soundly on her chest.
"Come on, time for presents!" Naomi said excitedly and she was nearly bouncing out of her skin with enthusiasm. But it would seem her mother was intent on sleeping.
"Regina?" Emma prodded. "I can't really move unless you get up."
"Five more minutes... You're just so comfortable." She wrapped her arms around Emma's waist to add emphasis.
The action sent an eruption of butterflies soaring through her stomach. "Okay." She said weakly, and then looked to Naomi who was gravely unimpressed with the two.
"Mom, you have presents under the tree too."
Regina's eyes popped open and she sat upright. "I do?" Sleep was thick in her voice, but the excitement was palpable.
"You're worse than a child." Emma giggled.
"Yea, well I'd like to hear you say that when you open your gift."
"I have a gift?" Emma asked confused. She hadn't been snooping around the Christmas tree much, but she just assumed-
"Don't be silly. Of course, you do. There's a few gifts under the tree for you."
Emma watched in awe as Naomi tore through her gifts like a tornado, equally pleased with each object. But there was no mistaking which one was her favourite.
Her face lit up brighter than the lights on the Christmas tree when she revealed her brand-new Hornby trainset. She was bouncing off the walls with excitement.
"Emma will you help me put it together?" Naomi asked as she dropped the oversized box and crawled into Emma's lap.
"Sure I will."
"Thank you for all the gifts." She said to Regina. "But, I think the best present this year is getting to spend Christmas with Emma."
And really, everyone in the Mills family didn't need to make Emma cry. It just wasn't necessary.
"Aww sweetie." Regina leaned forward and kissed her daughter's forehead before she focused her gaze on Emma. She looked as if she was contemplating something before, she planted a kiss on Emma's forehead as well as wiped away a few of her stray tears from the Blonde’s eyes. "I couldn't possibly agree more."
"Your turn mommy!" Naomi retrieved the two Christmas gifts and handed them over to Regina.
"For me?" Regina gasped. "You shouldn't have."
"That one is from me, and this one is from... Mostly Emma, but me too." Naomi smiled proudly as she crawled back into Emma's lap to watch her mother.
Regina opened the teddy bear first, and of course she loved it. She even gave it a big hug to show her appreciation. But when she moved on to the necklace Emma felt her nerves getting the better of her.
She just hoped Regina didn't know the meaning behind certain stones.
Regina gasped when she saw the necklace, and tears sprung to her eyes. Now Emma was feeling nervous for completely different reasons.
"Do you hate it?" She asked cautiously.
Regina was too choked up to answer, but she flung her arms around Emma's neck to convey her true feelings. "I... Love..."
Green eyes widened with shock as she realized Regina must've figured it out.
"It." She finished and Emma deflated. "I love it. It's beautiful. Thank you guys so much. It means the world to me that I get wear it." She turned and handed the necklace to Emma. "Would you?"
"Emma your turn!" Naomi sang as the blonde helped Regina into her necklace.
Naomi brought over two small gifts and then turned back to retrieve the last, and biggest, gift under the tree. Emma felt giddy but didn't want to seem over excited.
That was thrown out the window the moment she pulled out a conductor's hat, followed by a whistle. She didn't even need to open the final gift to know that it was a train set, but what she wasn't expecting was to see a vintage Accucraft Steam Locomotive in the box...
First of all, they stopped making them in the 80s. Second of all, if you are lucky enough to find one then it would cost a small fortune. And third of all, "I love it." Emma choked out. "My Christmas wish came true after all."
This was the most thoughtful thing anyone has ever done for her.
"So did ours." Regina said as Emma swept her up into an embrace.
X
Naomi was upstairs getting ready for Christmas dinner and Emma found herself watching the cookies to ensure they didn't burn.
She hadn't noticed the fact that Regina had walked into the kitchen, with one hand behind her back.
"Rose quartz is an interesting choice Emma."
The blonde jolted and spun around. Regina was admittedly closer than Emma expected her to be which threw her off even more. "Huh?"
"Did you know that the rose quartz is a symbol of love? Because I didn't... Not until after I googled it anyway."
"I-I... Wait, why would you Google it?"
Regina smiled lazily and tilted her head to one side as she gazed at Emma in a way that made the blonde's stomach erupt with butterflies. "A little birdie may have tipped me off."
"Naomi." Emma sighed in defeat.
"Naomi." Regina confirmed. "So, rose quartz then?"
Green eyes danced across perfect features, as Regina waited patiently for Emma to confirm her suspicions. She was always so patient- so sweet- so... "I have feelings for you." Emma blurted when the onslaught of adoration felt like too much. "Like real feelings for you, and I thought maybe-"
Regina hummed and pushed Emma against the counter. "Were you ever going to say anything? Or were you just going to keep ignoring all of my advances while you give the most subtle hints that you may just feel the same?"
"Wha- I wasn't ignoring... I just, I didn't know." She sighed nervously.
Regina smirked and shook her head. "I took you out on a date you know?"
"When?" Emma spluttered.
"What do you mean?" Regina laughed. "I literally asked you to have dinner with me at one of the most romantic restaurants in Manhattan. You didn't think that was a date?"
"It was only my second day of knowing you. How was I supposed to work that out?"
"I'm very forward, Ms. Swan." Regina breathed as she inched forward.
Emma felt her breath stutter as she gazed into mesmerising brown eyes. "But you didn't kiss me. Was I really supposed to work out that it was a date?" She nearly whispered. Regina didn't justify that with an answer, she simply nodded her head upwards and signalled for Emma to look above them.
The blonde did so, fully expecting to see a mistletoe hung over their heads, but there was nothing there.
"Made you look." Regina chuckled as she pulled the mistletoe from behind her back and held it between them.
"You little minx." Emma said just before she disregarded the object and pulled Regina forward until their lips met in the sweetest of ways.
"Merry Christmas, Emma." She said between kisses.
Emma could only hum as she kissed this amazing woman. Nothing would ever top this Christmas.
Except for maybe a Christmas 3 years into the future when Regina would get down on one knee and ask Emma to marry her... But that's a story for another time.
For now, Emma lived happily in this moment.