Character Oneshots!

Regina Mills - Comfort (F)

(A/N: hey, despite exams, it's very difficult for me to revise currently. There's loads of shit happening at home, and so this is mostly for me... For several years now, there's been arguments galore, and over the weekend was HORRIBLE. I had to leave the home for a few hours. I was terrified. But anyway, I hope you enjoy!)

(T.W: Mentioned// dialogue described abuse. Please don't read it you think it'll cause you any mental harm. I'd rather you not read if you know it will, this is mostly for me to process some things that have happened...)

"Y/N? Everything okay?" Regina greater her, sat behind her desk.

"Can we go for a walk?"

"Yeah, you okay?" Regina said, instantly dropping everything she was doing, standing up, and walking out the door with Y/N's arm in her's.

As she passed her receptionist, she requested that all meetings from this afternoon were to be pushed forward. Regina opened up her day just for Y/N and it made her feel a little guilty.

They walked in silence for a minute, Regina very aware that Y/N always needed a minute to think before talking. They had been good friends since before the curse, and now that they were in it, they'd grown even closer. Though they both had feelings for eachother, they both didn't want to ruin what they already had, choosing friendship over loss.

Y/N was allowed to keep her memories, and was the only one other than Regina who remembered. Regina swears if she were the only one to know, she'd go absolutely nuts within the first few years.

"I want to talk about my parents," Y/N finally stated. This completely shocked Regina. In all the years they had known eachother, curse or no curse, the topic of Y/N's parents was strictly off limits. "I've been mulling it over, and it's time I finally talk about it, time I finally let go," she explained, looking to Regina to see her reaction.

"You can say as much or as little as you like, I'm always here to listen," Regina reassured, bringing them ever so slightly closer via their linked arms. They were silent again for a minute, allowing Y/N to breathe as much as she needed.

"My mother was... Difficult," she began, almost uncertain. "Day to day, she was a lovely woman, who always looked after my sister and I." Regina's eyes widened. She didn't realise you had any siblings.

The two slowed and they neared a bench in the local park. They sat, comfortable with keeping their arms linked, and they both crossed their legs, staving off the cold.

"She would drink, and she would become verbally violent. She would often insult me, being the oldest child, and often go back on many of the things she had said previously. Whenever she'd compliment my sister, she'd always manage to make a backhanded comment against me..." Y/N said this looking to a crack in the ground, watching how the small tuft of grass waved in the slight breeze.

"There were times she was physically violent, where she'd scare me so badly I'd get panic attacks... It would always be over the little things the arguments would start. A small comment, intended as a joke. A thought that popped into my head that I couldn't control and had to release. Me opening up about my feelings, thinking this time might be different, only for her to freak out and hurt me mentally or physically."

Regina sat there gobsmacked. Never had she thought so gorgeous through and through would ever have been through any of that. She placed her spare hand comfortingly on Y/N's knee.

"I protected my sister for years. She was 8 years younger than me, probably the most lovely human being to ever exist. I can remember, when she used to go into town, she was so popular, there were several her age, but they all wanted to be her friend only. One day my mother got mad, began screaming and shouting at us for no reason. My father, a reserved man, tried talking her down. He had to do so many times," Y/N looked at Regina, insecure as to whether she was listening. She was, and by the shine of her eyes, tears were forming. She looked away, unable to see Regina pity her.

"This particular argument got messy. I had left, unable to handle it anymore. I ended up running a bath in my room, next to the fire so the water would heat to be at least warm. As I was in there, she burst into the room, screaming and shouting and threatening me. I screamed back the only words I could think in my terrified state; 'Get Out'," Y/N stopped, breathing carefully. Regina sat there and waited for when Y/N would be ready to continue, keeping her close.

"That day, I left forever. Despite it not being as bad as other arguments, where I had gotten hurt, the fact I was almost an adult and I was terrified, I just couldn't stay anymore. That's when I went on the road. That's when you found me."

They sat there in silence. Regina thinking it all now makes sense. She brought the woman she was holding closer, the one she'd secretly sworn to protect no matter what.

"I never saw my sister again," Y/N finished, finally starting to crying. The straw that broke the camels back.

"I will never let anything happen to you," Regina said, finally understanding, embracing Y/N with all her might. She needed to let the woman know she was here, and she was never going to let anything happen to her again ever. She loved her too much for that.

"You love me?"

"I said that out loud?"