“But…” Emma sighs and rubs the back of her neck. “I guess I’m just not sure. Like, if she likes girls, that’s totally fine. I’d be such a hypocrite to say that two girls can’t like each other.”
Regina snorts. “Eloquent, as always.”
“That’s why you love me, right?” When Regina hums her approval, Emma continues. “Wouldn’t it be easier to just keep the male identity if she’s just going to be into girls?”
“Emma…”
“I hear your disappointment, and y’know, I’m disappointed with myself, too, okay? So, you don’t have to lecture me. But if I can’t ask you these questions, then they’ll just fester, and it’ll pop out at the worst time possible. I can’t ask her. I just can’t. I love her so much, Regina, even if I can’t always wrap my head around things.”
“Yes, maybe her life would be easier if she were a boy who likes girls. However, the fact remains that she is a girl, and she just happens to like girls. If she were to like boys, and she might for all we know, would you have encouraged her to fully transition? Or would you have wondered why she didn’t just accept being labeled a gay man?”
Emma stares down at her feet and fidgets. “You’re right. You always are. You mentioned you looked some of this stuff up on the internet? I think that might help me, too.”
“I’d be more than happy to show you some resources.” Regina dries her hands on a towel, which she places on the countertop before crossing to Emma’s side. She slides her hands along Emma’s waist and draws the blonde closer. “Sofia and I know you’re doing the best you can.”
“You’re pretty amazing for handling this so well.” Emma leans into the embrace and sighs. “Not the first time I’ve wished I was more like you.”
“If it makes you feel any better, there have been many moments when I made a similar wish.”
@loverskisslikedeath - for you. Finding Sofia Chapter 14, first chunk. Requests for it are more than welcome.
Regina leans over the stove and smiles as heat buffets her cheeks and the delectable scent of cooking meat curls into her nose. She’d learned to cook early on in the curse out of necessity, but in recent years, she’s taken to the practice out of joy rather than need. She likes the way her efforts come to delicious fruition, not to mention the way Emma groans and moans when she makes something particularly good. Dinner is one of the few times they are all together at the same time, and she relishes in the fact that her cooking is what consistently draws her oft-busy lover and her growing child to the table. These moments are especially important now that Sofia is coming into her own, Regina decides as she grabs a spatula to shift the meet around the skillet.
“So, did you see what’s going on in the other room?”
Redirecting her attention, she eyes Emma, who leans against the wall and peers into the living room. She shrugs and resumes her activities. “No. Should I be concerned?”
“No. I mean, I don’t know.”
Turning the burner down, Regina turns and folds her arms over her chest. “Whatever this is about, you need to talk to me first before you say something hurtful to our daughter.”
“I wouldn’t do that,” Emma replies, having the decency to look a bit wounded. “I just don’t get it.”
“What?”
“She seems really into Paige, y’know?”
The thought of Sofia dating makes Regina’s heart clench. She feels like not a day has passed since she first held Sofia as a baby, although there is abundant evidence to the contrary. Despite her dislike of Paige’s father, she’s just glad that Sofia has a friend who matters so much--and who likes who Sofia is rather than who Sofia was.
Pairing: Sofia(Henry)/Paige(Grace) with a side helping of Emma Swan/Regina Mills
Overall Rating: M
Overall Warnings: A little scary? Maybe?
Notes: Read me on AO3 or FF.
Summary: In which Sofia, née Henry, discovers herself and fights monsters–but that’s nothing new in Storybrooke.
After school, Sofia waits by the flagpole with her earbuds. Like this she can observe her peer group without having to listen to the milieu of voices and conversations; she appreciates a bit of distance while she’s thinking, and at the moment, she’s deeply considering what’s eating at Paige. Although the other girl kept her composure during lunch, Sofia hasn’t been able to shake the feeling that something’s horribly wrong. She supposes that most things in her life have never been small problems, but rather earth-shattering crises, but she can’t just assume that’s the way life is for other people. Then again, she’s never seen Paige look so defeated.
She spots Paige heading through the crowd and lifts a hand. Paige smiles back, and Sofia isn’t sure if she’s reading too much into the sadness she detects in the expression.
“Hey.” Paige nervously twists a strand of her hair. “Sorry about being a bit late.”
“You’re not. Karen’s not even here yet, so if you’re late, then she’s super late.”
“Hah…”
Sofia clears her throat and feels awfully awkward. “How was P.E.?”
“Ms. Athens is like the worst. I thought I was going to die, she was pushing us so hard. I mean, seriously. Why does some stupid state standard mean that I have almost have a heart attack to run a mile in under nine minutes?”
“Just imagine if you were a boy. We have to--” Sofia halts her sentence and struggles with the massive lump suddenly residing in her throat. Voice cracking, she amends, “They have to run it faster.”
Paige appraises her for a long moment and then shrugs. “Either way, it’s awful. If I ever get elected into office, I’m changing the rules.”
I like how Sofia is not jealous of Nick's desire to please Regina. Dammit I love this story.
<3
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“I hope she is,” Sofia finally responds, “because if Jefferson can’t get a hat put together, we might need a miracle to get the ajatar home.”
“He’ll get it done.” Paige stares down at her hands.
“Totally. I don’t think there’s anything to worry about. Besides, a mythical creature isn’t the weirdest thing to happen to this town, so if the ajatar has to stay, I think we’ll all learn to cope.”
Sofia snorts. “I like the attitude, Karen, but I don’t think the ajatar would be too happy about being permanently ripped away from her home.”
“I’m just saying.”
“I know.”
“My dad’ll get it done. And then it’ll be over, and things will go back to the way they were.”
While Karen bemoans how boring Storybrooke will be again, Sofia wonders how her life will be when there’s nothing new to focus on but her gender identity. She’s heard the monster rumors flying about the hallways of the school, as they replaced the quiet mutterings about how she dressed--once the ajatar is safely whisked back home, she’ll likely become the most interesting topic of discussion. She swallows hard and closes her eyes for a moment to block out the cacophony of the lunch room. Although she doesn’t like what Regina did as a younger woman, she appreciates the flair with which Regina did them. She’s going to channel that spirit, she decides. Let them talk--she’s not going to change or falter.
“I think a bit of calm will be good,” she announces as she digs into her lunch. “We can just be kids, like everyone else.”
Karen continues with her melodrama, but Sofia tunes the enthusiastic ranting out. This is Karen’s way of trying to help keep Paige’s spirits up, so she doesn’t feel like she has to contribute; besides, her thoughts are quickly consumed by the biology chapter she didn’t understand--once the ajatar is gone, she’ll have no excuse for not knowing the material. She groans inwardly and promises to work harder.
I was secretly hoping that you would continue Finding Sofia (as well as Unhappily Ever After and really everything) but I didn't know if you wanted to be bugged about it. I really liked the new parts, so much love for that cheerleader and also awesome friendship. Girls loving and supporting girls (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ ヾ(●⌒∇⌒●)ﾉ If you're up to it, you can consider this a prompt. For whatever you feel like writing most.
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Always up for some Sofia :)
“I agree.”
Sofia laughs as Karen plops down beside them; as the other girl couldn’t have heard their conversation, Karen is obviously bluffing. Karen shrugs and tosses a french fry at Sofia, who dodges and sticks her tongue out. Sofia keeps a close eye on Paige, hoping that the shenanigans will further distract her from whatever is churning in her belly. Thankfully, Paige is grinning, and Sofia feels accomplished.
“That’s dangerous, Karen. You don’t even know what I said.”
“Well, maybe not, but I’d definitely rather get into trouble with you than be boring by myself.” Karen turns to Paige. “So, what’s with the long face?”
“There’s no long face–”
“Maybe not now, but like two minutes ago, I could definitely spot a little rain cloud hovering over your head, even from across the cafeteria.”
Sofia gently socks Karen’s shoulder. “We’re going to talk about it later, okay?”
“Oh! Mum’s the word. Hush-hush, that sort of thing.”
Rolling her eyes, Sofia nods. “Exactly. But if you have something you want to talk about, we won’t stop you.”
“How about Nick’s new attitude? He’s pretty desperate for your mom’s attention.”
“I don’t care what caused it, honestly. I’m just glad I don’t have to watch out for him. He sorta seemed like a time bomb before, y’know? Like he was always on the brink of going too far.”
“I got that sense, too,” Paige puts in. “But now, he’s more relaxed. Your mom must be a miracle worker.”
Pride fills Sofia’s chest; for years, she’d been afraid that Regina would only be seen by the townsfolk as the Evil Queen, even though she knew there was so much more to her mother. After coming out and receiving Regina’s unfaltering support, she had cemented her belief that Regina was in no way the same woman who had cursed everyone to this world.
I totally forgot Finding Sofia existed, and that makes me sad. I suck! Could I have more, anyway?
I suck more, so no worries!
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By lunchtime, Sofia feels as though she’s wearing clouds on her feet instead of shoes, and she practically floats down the hallway. While nothing in particular happened beyond the exchanged note, she knows there are people around who support her, even if she doesn’t know them. When she presented as a boy, she had never been this at home in her body, and she realizes with glee that even if things are a bit harder, she’s much happier than she was before. She wishes she could bottle this feeling for later, for the moments when she didn’t recognize how valid she was or for days when she hates how different she is.
So enraptured with her happiness is she that noticing Paige’s downcast expression takes a full two minutes. She pauses in her excited explanation of the note and stares until Paige shifts uncomfortably under her scrutiny. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.” Paige attempts a smile, but her eyes remain flat.
“You don’t seem fine.” Sofia leans closer and lowers her voice. “Is this about your dad?”
“I said I’m fine.”
“I know. But I would have said the same thing weeks ago when nobody knew I was a girl.”
Paige rests her cheek in one palm. “Maybe I just don’t want to talk about it right now. Is that okay?”
Understanding that they’re in a public place and that gossip flies quickly around the school, Sofia shrugs. “Yeah, that’s okay.”
“I don’t mean to ice you out--”
“I know better than anyone how it feels to need a bit of privacy about personal things.” She offers Paige a smile. “But I’m here if you need me, okay?”
“Thanks.”
“So, did you look at our biology homework for next week? I read the chapter, but I don’t think I understood like any of it.”
Sofia determines that Paige is grateful for the topic shift, as Paige’s shoulders relax and her expression lightens.
