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Emma awoke to an empty bed the other side still warm. After her one night stand with Avery they began to see each other regularly. It started off as mostly friends with benefits but it eventually had become more, at least to the dark haired woman, and the blonde had a sinking feeling that the woman was going to be wanting more however she knew as much as she tried to delude herself of the fact that she wasn’t over Regina.
It was nearing Christmas and though she wished to have the holidays be a little brighter the detective sighed rubbing her face. Her ‘girlfriend’ had been hinting at wanting to move in together but hell she hadn’t even told Henry she was trying to move on. Avery was probably the most well kept secret she had; not that she really had anyone to tell anyway, but the fact she hadn’t even told her son made it clear things were going to have to end. Staring at the ceiling Emma covered her eyes as the bathroom door opened and the dark haired woman got back into bed. She tried to cuddle closer but Emma just couldn’t. She couldn’t keep pretending that her heart wasn’t still shattered. It may have been repaired slightly but there were still too many pieces to be put together enough to move on.
Sensing the blondes shift in mood AVery smiled resting her head on Emma’s chest while letting her warm hands roam the body beneath her, “I love you.”
“Same,” came the reply that was heard every day since Avery had admitted her feelings for the woman. It was hard at first knowing Emma was still getting over the relationship she had been so invested in. However two and a half years later and still no ‘I love you too’ from the blonde was getting to her.
“Why do you always say that?” she inquired.
Opening her eyes and lifting her head to meet dark blue pools Emma’s brows furrowed, “Say what?”
Moving so she was fully straddling the woman Avery leaned down to kiss Emma’s lips, something she’d been enjoying for many nights, but sometimes it felt as if the blonde wasn’t really there, “Say ‘Same’ whenever I say ‘I love you’?”
Frowning Emma flopped back onto her pillow as her hands found the naked hips pressing into her, “Because I just can’t tell you what I haven’t got.”
Pushing off Emma Avery moved off the bed pulling her discarded clothing off the floor, “And I’m supposed to what? Wait for you to get over that bitch who threw you out two and a half years ago?”
Flinging the sheet off of herself Emma jumped from the bed still coming to her ex-lover’s defense even if what Avery said was true, the throwing Emma out part not the bitch part, but even so her heart still belonged to Regina, “Don’t you dare speak of her like that. She is the mother of my son and I will always love her but…”
Shaking her head the woman was seething, “But you only want me and need me right? You can’t love me because you can only love her right?”
“Something like that,” Emma admitted, “But in all honesty I never intended to keep on going with this after the first night, but it felt nice to want and need someone again. Even if I couldn’t love you. I mean hell two out of three ain’t bad.”
Walking directly over into Emma’s space the women were a breath apart from the other and as sad ocean blue met forest green tears swelled but not enough to fall; either that or Avery was too proud to cry, “But it’s the third thing that’s the most important,” she whispered before grabbing the rest of her things from the room and leaving.
Only when the apartment's door closed did Emma wander to the kitchen and pull out the bottle of Royal Salute she was able to swipe from the study after Regina had kicked her out. Pouring herself a tumbler of the stuff Emma downed in one gulp. Pouring another the blonde made her way back to bed laying back down she pondered what Avery had said and it was true. Love was the most important of the three, but she had given hers away and could only give the other two not that it mattered much anymore.