Impossible (Swanqueen)

Chapter 4

Saturday morning, Emma was in the coffee shop. She wasn't allowed to open it today due to the dangerous weather, but she was there anyways. She liked the coffee shop better than her apartment. It was warm and cozy.

She sat at the counter and sipped her hot chocolate, fingering with Regina's business card in her hand. She hadn't let go of it since the older woman had handed it to her.

Emma knew Regina wouldn't be coming to the coffee shop on a Saturday when the weather was so bad, and she desperately wanted to talk to her.

"Don't do it, Swan. Don't you dare pick up that phone." Emma whispered to herself through gritted teeth. Should she dare?

She picked up her phone and quickly typed in the number from the business card.  

"Hi." She texted before she lost her bravery. Almost immediately, her phone buzzed. Her heart fluttered, and she quickly looked at the screen.

"Who is this?"

Emma giggled. She had forgotten to mention that it was her, so she decided to have a little fun.

"Your secret admirer." She texted back.

"This is extremely pointless and not amusing. Who is this?" Regina texted back. Emma laughed. She had forgotten how cold Regina was to strangers.

"This is a really banging hot barista." Emma texted back. This time she didn't get an immediate response. Was Regina surprised? Was she taking time to figure out what to say back?
A couple minutes later, her phone buzzed.

"Emma! A really banging hot barista? Really?" Regina typed.

"Well it's obviously an accurate description, because you knew it was me." Emma teased. She could just imagine Regina blushing.

"How are you, dear?" Regina texted back, successfully ignoring Emma's prompt.

Emma smiled at Regina's term of endearment.

"Cold." Emma texted.

"Do you not have a heater in your apartment?"

"No I don't, but I'm at the coffee shop anyways." Emma responded.

"They made you work in this weather??" Regina texted.

"No, but I like it better than my apartment." Emma replied.

"I see." Regina texted back. Emma smiled. She was already missing their Saturday conversations.

"The coffee shop misses you." Emma texted. She missed Regina, but she wasn't about to admit that. Regina was smart, she'd realize what Emma was implying wouldn't she?

"Well I can't speak for the coffee shop, but I miss you." Emma added. Her stomach flipped as she sent the text, and she waited impatiently for a response.

Nothing.

Emma began to have a small panic attack. She should not have said that. Although she was allowed to miss her, wasn't she? They were kind of like friends now, and it was acceptable for friends to miss each other, right? 

Maybe Regina was uncomfortable. Or maybe she was busy or having lunch with someone. Emma frowned at that thought. Who was she kidding? Regina was a grown woman for gods sake. Emma was a child to her.

"Nice going, Swan. You fucked up as usual, and as usual you're left alone." Emma sighed.

She made another cup of hot chocolate and poured extra cinnamon on top of the whipped cream. She slumped down at the counter and wiped a frustrated tear from her cheek.

She needed to stop chasing after things that she could never have. She just kept getting let down.

"Fuck this!" She yelled angrily, flinging her phone across the room. It shattered near the door.

Emma sighed and sat back down, oblivious to the fact that a message had just been about to come in on her phone.

Half an hour passed and it was 2:00. Emma began to pack her things. The coffee shop wasn't as inviting as it had been only hours earlier.

Emma walked towards the door, and just as her hand touched the handle, it flew open.

Emma stumbled backwards, met by a gust of snow and cold wind.

"Wha--?" She yelled. Regina Mills was standing in the open doorway of the coffee shop in a long black coat and red gloved. She was flushed and breathless from the cold, her chocolate brown hair sprinkled with white snow flakes.

"Hi dear." Regina smiled. Emma's mouth was hanging open. She gaped wordlessly as Regina closed the door to prevent any more snow from getting in.

"Were you leaving? I texted you saying 'I'll have to fix that.' You didn't think I'd let you stay here by yourself all day, did you?"

Emma was shocked. Regina had probably left her cozy apartment in this terrible weather just because Emma was alone.

She threw herself on Regina, wrapping her arms around her, trying to put as much emotion as she could into the hug.

Regina understood. A gloved hand moved subtly up and down Emma's back as Emma whispered a barely audible thank you.

"Of course." Regina said back, pulling back from their hug to look at the younger girl. 

Emma could stay in Regina's arms all day. She smelled of flowers and fall spices, nutmeg perhaps.

"I was actually in the middle of baking." Regina started. Emma's heart plummeted. Regina was just popping in, she was going to leave.

"Oh. Yeah, that's fine. I totally get it, have fun! Thanks for stopping by-"

"Emma, let me finish." Regina interrupted, chuckling softly. "And I was wondering if you'd like to come back to my apartment with me since I have to leave?"

"Oh." Emma blushed. Go to Regina's apartment? It was like a dream. "Yeah sure!"

"Alright, great." Regina smiled. "Follow me then."