The Challenge

Chapter Thirty-Six

The sun has turned in for the night, so the stars are out extra bright to shine against the midnight sky. She's so blissfully happy, her heart full, and her cheeks sore from smiling so hard. She is lying on her back, swinging in a hammock and staring up at the stars while Regina is safely tucked into her side, reading some thriller novel out loud because she thinks Emma will love it.

She's happy.

Genuinely happy.

A feeling she has never felt before.

She presses her index finger beneath Regina's chin and guides that rambling mouth to hers for a slow kiss. "I'm...happy."

Regina grins, curling more into her side and stretching for another kiss. "Me too."

"I really like you," she shyly whispers, the little lost girl inside telling her to shut up before she ruins everything with her tainted luck like always.

"Hmm, and I really like you," Regina vows, offering one more sweet kiss before she picks up her book and continues reading.

Emma doesn't truly listen to the story being told, she's too busy swirling around in the worry and doubt of what's to come for her and Regina. When she notices that her companion is at the end of the chapter, she patiently waits for her to finish before she speaks again.

"Where are we?"

"Aruba," and the light mischief of mocking in Regina's tone has Emma's stomach fluttering with love.

"Alright," Emma deadpans, squeezing Regina's side right above her hip that's extra sensitive, evoking a little yelp. "I mean...with us...like...what is this?" A bottom lip puckers, urging Emma to dip down and bite it but she refrains before she gets distracted. "I just...I really wasn't looking for anything and I didn't think I was really ready if I'm being honest, not after everything I went through with Lily but you showed up and I...I'm so happy with you, like I have never been this giddy before in my life. I don't do giddy."

Regina inhales sharply, softly closing her book and turning onto her side to meet Emma's anxious eyes. "I didn't think you were ready. When I asked you for your number and you shut me down-"

"I didn't shut you down, I swear to god, I didn't have a phone-"

"I know that now but I thought you were just trying to let me down easy."

"I swear I wasn't."

"To be honest, my plan was to just be a friend when we went on this trip but then I got drunk and Ruby and Belle were so convinced that you did have feelings for me, so I called you to come to the bar and well...you know what happened after that."

Emma sighs, so utterly sad that she unknowingly hurt Regina because hurting this woman is the last thing she would ever want to do. "I'm sorry. That really wasn't my intention. When we got back from the final, I had some stuff I needed to sort out, like visiting my old boss and claiming my last check, finding closure with Lily and then needing a phone, a car and a place to live. I needed to sort my shit out before I found you again."

"And I appreciate that but I have no idea what you want. You're twenty-two, but so much more mature than I have ever encountered before and sometimes I forget how young you are. I have a feeling you want to go back to the show and have fun and experience being young and I-well, well I have found myself exactly where I was with Mal and now I'm walking in her shoes."

"You're done with The Challenge?"

"I need a break and I don't know where that will lead me in the end."

"Can't we have both and be together?" Emma timidly asks.

"I don't want to share, Emma."

She cocks her head to the side, trying to understand where she is coming from. "Neither do I. Do you not trust me? Because I would never cheat. I swear."