Chapter Text
They sneak out at the cusp of dawn, when the crickets become quiet, and the birds begin to wake. When the night guards at the castle grow weary and their eyelids droop low enough that they don't notice a pair of women tiptoeing past them.
No one is awake yet—no one they care about at least. Regina knows that they are all sleeping soundly in their beds in their guest rooms. But Regina finds it difficult to sleep these days—something about the oppressive atmosphere of the castle—and Emma doesn't sleep at all.
So why not go outside and get some fresh air? It will certainly benefit both of them. Toiling in Arthur's library, searching for clues to free Merlin, to free Emma... it hadn't been healthy. As desperate as Regina is to free Emma from the darkness, she can't let herself burn out.
They sneak away instead of using magic, at Emma's insistence. Using magic heightened her dark impulses, something neither of them wanted. But sneaking has its own charm. It's reminiscent of youth and childhood and daring to be a bit defiant.
Emma jokes that they're eloping. Regina smacks her arm lightly and rolls her eyes.
If it were a tad brighter, Emma would see Regina's skin flush ever so slightly. But the sky is still a dark blue, so she sees nothing.
Regina quietly imagines what it would be like to elope with Emma Swan.
They make it out of the castle gates and settle in a small clearing in the woods. The dark blue sky lightens and becomes more saturated. They're deep in the blue hour, and dawn is rapidly approaching. They inhale the fresh air and savor this time. The blue hour never lasts long.
Regina yawns loudly, and she lies down on the ground. Emma blinks, unable to conceal her surprise. She knows that Regina only had an hour of sleep during the night, but to see the prim and proper queen lie on the dirt and grass without so much as a blanket to rest her head on...
Not to mention all the bugs that would start climbing up her dress and hair. Oh god, Emma thinks, because Regina long wavy hair is splayed out all over the grass, where it could easily get stepped on or tangled or—
Regina looks up at Emma. And a dazed smile adorns her features.
It's obvious that she doesn't care about the bugs or the dirt or the state of her dress or hair. For Regina, these are all trifles. Why would she care, when she's alone with Emma, and Emma looks so relaxed?
Regina is content to stay on the grass, so long as Emma is there.
Understanding this instinctively, Emma sits down beside her. It's tricky to settle down without disturbing Regina's hair (it's truly beautiful hair, and Emma's seen the amount of work Regina's gone through to maintain it), but she manages. Emma leans over Regina, and she smiles.
She doesn't touch Regina—perish the thought. Friends they may be, they do not have a physical relationship. Not unless they count punching, throwing each other against walls, or holding knives against each other's necks. They do hold hands occasionally, but nothing more.
Emma wonders what Regina's skin actually feels like. It always looks soft and smooth (because of course Regina has a ridiculous skincare routine). Just once, she would like to run her hand along Regina's face, trace her fingertips down her neck and find her pulse point...
Emma knows better than to act on these thoughts, these impulses. Another byproduct of taking on the Dark Curse. Emma finds that she needs to resist a lot of urges these days, especially whenever Regina is involved. Everyone's counting on her to stay strong, so she resists.
Emma keeps her hands on her knee and settles for looking at Regina. Her hair falls down, the tips only inches away from Regina's nose.
Regina's hands rest atop her abdomen. Unbeknownst to both of them, they are experiencing similar thoughts. Regina also keeps her hands to herself.
Then, the light around Emma begins to change. The blue hour is ending, and bright sunlight begins to filter in through the trees and bushes. Sunbeams hit Emma's body, casting a warm light on her cloak and skin. Her hair is both white and bright gold.
Regina can't look away.
Granted, the light may have also been from magic. The Dark One's curse makes her skin shimmer gold at times.
But dark magic can't make someone radiant. No, this is all Emma. Just as the sun is peeking through the trees, Emma's light peeks through the confines of the curse.
It's beautiful, and Regina can't help but wish that the sun could stay in this position forever. She wishes that they could stay here forever, letting the rest of the world disappear from them. Of course, she's not serious—they would both miss Henry too much—but it's nice to imagine.
There are things that need to be done, and when the sun rises fully, they will return to the castle and continue their research. But for now, they savor this rare moment of peace and light and warmth that they can only find with each other. And in this moment, they shine.
~Fin~