"We should get married."
Emma laughs as she tugs at the blanket before sliding closer to the brunette currently hogging it. "Oh yeah?"
"Yeah."
"You're forgetting some things there, babe." Emma teases.
Dark eyes turn to her, sparkling. "Like what?"
"Well, it's not legal here, for one."
"A technicality."
"Two, I don't marry women who hog the covers." Emma laughs, pulling at the blanket again.
"I'm not hogging them. Besides, marriage is about sharing."
"Uh huh."
"Are those your only arguments? Because so far, they're not amounting to much."
Emma wraps her arms around a small waist and hugs tightly. "There is one other small problem."
A small sigh escapes red lips. "You mean that matter of you being in love with someone else?"
Emma drops a kiss against a streak of red hair. "Yeah. But honestly, Rubes, I think our biggest problem is the hogging of the covers."
Ruby laughs and turns in Emma's arms. "You say that you're in love with Regina, and yet it's my bed you're in right now."
"Fully clothed and watching crappy TV because you're my best friend and that's what best friends do."
"Oh please, this is straight out of an episode of Rizzoli & Isles and you know they're totally gay."
Emma shoves her shoulder. "Come on, Rubes. You know I love you. I just -"
"Love Regina more. Even though she treats you like crap."
"She doesn't." Emma protests weakly.
"Then why am I the only one who knows about you two?"
Emma doesn't have an answer, so she just closes her eyes.
Ruby runs a hand over Emma's cheek. "I know you love her and I respect that. But promise me that if you ever wise up, you'll remember that I proposed first."
"Agreed. Now quit hogging the covers and let the crappy TV marathon begin."
Ruby frowns at Regina as Emma walks out of the diner looking crestfallen after another unsuccessful talk with Regina about their relationship. "What?" Regina snaps when she notices Ruby's look.
Ruby shakes her head. "You're in love with her - why don't you just admit it?"
"Wh - how dare you?" Regina hisses, angry at Ruby calling her out about feelings she's not even ready to admit to herself, especially in this public location.
Ruby just shakes her head. "She may want you now, but she's not going to stick around forever. You know as well as I do that if there's nothing keeping her here, she'll run. And she loves Henry, but that's not enough."
"I suggest that you mind your own business, Miss Lucas." Regina's voice is icy enough to freeze the blood in Ruby's veins but she withstands it. She's going to get through to Regina, one way or another. Emma deserves that much.
"Emma is my business. And you should make her yours or you're going to lose her. Half the people in Storybrooke are crazy about her." Ruby smirks as she continues. "Why just last night one of the best looking dames I know practically proposed to her."
Regina falters at that. It isn't obvious, just a slight widening of the eyes and a flash of fear across her face that she quickly schools into her usual mask, but Ruby catches it. She's become far more tuned in to Regina since Emma had admitted their relationship. "What? Who?"
