Shared Pain

Chapter 15

The women had made themselves comfortable on the couch and the movie was playing in front of them. Yet Regina didn't pay attention to it at all.

She kept replaying Eva's words in her head.

Perhaps she'd imagined Emma biting her lip and tucking her hair behind her ear, but she still saw her blonde hair tucked behind her ears.

Emma noticed Regina's staring and paused the movie. "Is something wrong?" She inquired carefully.

Regina quickly shook her head no and averted her eyes back to the TV, but as Emma continued the movie, her eyes drifted off back to the blonde.

Yet again, Regina's staring didn't go unnoticed by the blonde and she paused movie again before she turned to Regina, who now pretended to be fully focusing on the movie.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, why?"

"You keep staring at me and it's freaking me out," Emma said and Regina still kept her eyes fixated on the TV. "What's going on?"

Regina swallowed and finally turned her head to Emma. She didn't know why she cared so much about Emma giving her the signs that she likes her a lot, if she even had to believe Eva.

She loved Emma, but she wasn't in love. They were friends and she really didn't think Emma was in love with her.

"So, you heard everything in the room upstairs?" Regina inquired when she realized that Emma wasn't going to play the movie unless she told what was going on.

"Pretty much, I think. From the moment Lola asked you if.. you know," Emma said and Regina saw her cheeks getting a light pink color. "Why?"

"No reason."

Regina averted her eyes back to the TV, but Emma still refused to play the movie. Instead, Regina felt a warm hand on her thigh and Emma looked confused, with a hint of worry at her.

The blonde didn't like to see Regina so closed off, especially since she herself felt like she could be herself with Regina.

"Gina.."

"Gina?"

"Re gina, sorry," Emma mocked, emphasizing the first part and sighed with a playful eye roll.

"No, I like it," Regina said and offered her a sincere smile.

She really wanted to change the subject, because she had no idea how she could subtly ask Emma if the blonde was in love with her.

Either way, it wouldn't change anything, because she wasn't in love with Emma.

"Why do you keep asking me what I heard from the talk?" Emma inquired softly. "I'm sorry for listening."

Regina waved her hand dismissively. "No, that's alright. It's just.." she moved her hand closer to Emma's face and untucked her hair from behind the blonde's ear.

Emma's hand immediately lifted to the strand of hair that now hang loosely down her face and she swallowed as her cheeks turned red.

"Perhaps we should continue the movie," she said as she tucked the piece of hair behind her ear again and kept her eyes fixated on the movie.

Regina's lips curled up in a warm smile and her stomach fluttered. She loved that woman. As a friend.

~~~~

Emma was securely wrapped in Regina's arms and both women were fast asleep on the couch, when Emma's phone started to ring.