Somewhere Down The Road

Chapter Nine

Storybrooke- 16 years old

The music is thumping, the people are happily tipsy, and the bonfire has got to be some world record for how tall it is on the beach. But none of that compares to the way Emma holds her hand as they walk up to the party, silently announcing to everyone that she is there with Regina. She's absolutely giddy by the notion, inspiring her to squeeze Emma's hand three times.

Maybe Emma can read between the lines or maybe she just thinks Regina's nervous, either way, Emma clenches her hand three times in rapid succession, then tosses her a crooked smile before leading her to the fire.

"Hey!" Everyone chants, persuading a heat to tickle against Regina's cheeks, so she ducks her head down, leaning against Emma's shoulder.

"Hey," Ruby slurs, collapsing into Killian's chest. "I'm bored."

"I think I could keep you company," he flirts, wiggling his eyebrows as he slings an arm around her shoulders. "You know where I can get a drink?"

"Right this way..." Ruby taunts, slipping her fingers between his, tugging him to where most of the alcohol is.

Regina takes a gander around the party, noting that there must be twenty people there and she only knows a handful. Some people look much older, maybe some are Liam's friends but even they look older than the eldest Jones. That's the least of her worries tonight though.

Emma leads her over to the fire, perching her bottom on a log and tugging Regina down with her. "You stole my hat," she teases, playfully pulling on the brim.

"It looks better on me anyways," she sasses, winning herself a quick peck to her lips.

"That it does."

"I'm just teasing," she whispers right against those succulent lips, "you look so good in hats," she flirts, brushing her lips ever so gently to entice Emma.

Emma bites down on her bottom lip, those green eyes shifting back and forth like she's trying to memorize Regina before it's too late.

"Alright ladies," Neal cheers, interrupting the moment with a bottle of dark liquor dangling between them. "Shots!"

Regina roughly swallows like her throat is petrified of what's to come burning down it. She glances back at Emma, her stomach in knots because back home, it's very hard for people underage to find alcohol but here in Michigan, it's everywhere.

She observes closely as Emma swipes the bottle from Neal, presses the glass to her lips and takes a quick swig. She winces and shivers as the liquor travels down her body which has Regina grimacing as well.

"So...you drink?"

"Nope," Emma confesses with her lips popping dramatically. "Daddy will probably whoop my hide for this one too but uh, it's a special occasion."

And then Emma passes Regina the bottle, her attention drifting down to the dark liquid sloshing around the bottle that's already half gone.

"What's the special occasion?" She skeptically inquires, peeking through her lashes to read Emma's face.

"You're here," is all Emma replies with a cheeky little smirk dancing across her face. Regina inhales a deep breath to calm her nerves, lifts the bottle to her lips and hesitates. "You don't..." she doesn't finish her statement because Regina tosses back the liquor.

It burns. Her lips, her tongue, her throat all burn, suffocating the oxygen from her lungs until her chest hurts. She desperately tries not to cough but holding it in doesn't help either which has her eyes watering and burning as well.